Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Male on Male Rape

One of the more difficult issues I struggle with is helping guys cope with their experiences of being raped. The presence of this phenomenon simply isn't talked about in our society. In the gay community, the lack of any dialogue highlights the unspoken tragedy. There are few resources available. One of the first books I read on the material is by Michael Scarce "Male on Male Rape." His book reviews many of the issues including fears, embarrassment, masculinity issues, perceived issues of invulnerability, sexual desires, cultural issues regarding sexual prowess to name but a few of the issues. All of these concerns need to be addressed in recovery. The consequences of male on male rape are significant and parallels many of the experiences of male/female rape. Typical feelings include:


frightened
guilty
powerless
angry
ashamed
depressed
numb
lacking self-confidence

In a previous post, I highlighted the concerns of abuse and sexual violence. In those posts are a few ideas to become aware of as you look at the consequences of abuse and assault. Please review these two posts as part of the process.

One important idea to highlight is that during a sexual encounter if consent is removed, the experience is ASSAULT. You have the right to say no at any point. I strongly encourage you to talk about any sexual assault with your support issue.

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