Sexual Victimization of Men: What the Research Says Annotated Bibliography This annotated bibliography provides descriptions of recent research related to sexual victimization of men. It provides an overview of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse experienced by diverse populations of men in a variety of settings. These publications can assist advocates, medical professionals, law enforcement officials, and other service providers in identifying men who may be vulnerable to sexual violence and addressing gaps in services for survivors. Research is limited on men who have survived sexual violence. There are gaps in the research on men of color (especially those who are Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native American/ Alaska Native) and transgender men. More research is needed to fill these gaps. I. General French, B. H., Tilghman, J. D., & Malebranche, Most reported perpetrators of sexual coercion D. A. (2015). Sexual coercion context and were female. The study highlights the frequency psychosocial correlates among diverse males. of sexual coercion victimization among young Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 16(1), 42–53. men and the need for tailored prevention and https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035915 intervention resources. This study explored the prevalence of sexual Ioannou, M., Hammond, L., & Machin, L. coercion experiences among adolescent boys (2017). Male-on-male sexual assault: Victim, and young adult men. Out of a sample of 284 offender and offence characteristics. adolescent and young adult males (ages 14-26), Journal of Investigative Psychology and 43% of respondents reported experiencing a Offender Profiling, 14(2), 189–209. https://doi. form of sexual coercion, most commonly verbal org/10.1002/jip.1483 pressure and unwanted behaviors. This article reviews 15 studies about male-on- Stop Street Harassment. (2018). The facts male sexual assault published between 1980 behind the #metoo movement: A national and 2014, drawing data from a total of 5,112 study on sexual harassment and assault. sexual assault cases. The review finds that, Stop Street Harassment. http://www. according to studies that documented victim stopstreetharassment.org/wp-content/ and offender demographics, the majority uploads/2018/01/Full-Report-2018-National- of both victims and offenders of male-on- Study-on-Sexual-Harassment-and-Assault.pdf male sexual violence are Caucasian and This nationally representative study explored heterosexual. Studies that included information the nature and prevalence of sexual on the victim-offender relationship revealed harassment and sexual assault among diverse that approximately two-thirds of cases involved groups in the U.S. An online survey of 2,009 offenders and victims who knew each other. adults (996 women and 1,013 men) revealed Physical violence, verbal threats, and weapon that most women (81%) and a significant use were common. The authors highlight the portion of men (43%) had experienced sexual need for more in-depth research on male- harassment or sexual assault. The report on-male sexual violence, especially research details rates of verbal sexual harassment, involving representative, population-based physically aggressive sexual harassment, cyber samples and research on people who offend. harassment, and sexual assault among both Peterson, Z. D., Beagley, M. C., McCallum, men and women. Men in marginalized groups E. B., & Artime, T. M. (2019). Sexual (such as Hispanic men, men with disabilities, attitudes and behaviors among men who men living below the poverty level, men in rural are victims, perpetrators, or both victims areas, and gay and bisexual men) were more and perpetrators of adult sexual assault. likely to report experiencing sexual harassment Psychology of Violence, 9(2), 221–234. than other men. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000187 Kearl, H., Johns, N. E., & Raj, A. (2019). This study explored the relationship between Measuring #MeToo: A national study childhood sexual victimization, sexual on sexual harassment and assault. victimization in adulthood, and sexual assault Stop Street Harassment. http://www. perpetration in men. Out of a sample of 268 stopstreetharassment.org/wp-content/ adult men (76.5% white, 85.8% heterosexual), uploads/2012/08/2019-MeToo-National- 16.8% of respondents indicated that they had Sexual-Harassment-and-Assault-Report.pdf experienced sexual assault in adulthood, 31.7% This follow-up to the 2018 national survey indicated that they experienced childhood gauged experiences of sexual harassment sexual abuse before age 14, and 16.8% indicated among a nationally representative sample of that they had perpetrated adult sexual assault 2,219 adults (1,182 women and 1,037 men). at least once. Victims of adult sexual assault Victimization was a common experience (ASA) were more likely to be perpetrators among respondents, with 81% of women and than respondents who did not experience 43% of men reporting that they experienced sexual victimization in adulthood (48.9% some form of sexual harassment or sexual versus 10.3%). Men who were both victims and assault during their lives. These rates are the perpetrators of ASA were more likely to report same as those in the 2018 study. For both men experiencing childhood sexual abuse than men and women, sexual harassment often took who were only victims, only perpetrators, or place in public locations, and the most frequent neither victims nor perpetrators. perpetrator was a stranger. Being subject to 2 Annotated bibliography slurs that were homophobic or transphobic the experience. The article concludes that was the only type of harassment that men sex education and sexual/reproductive health experienced more frequently than women. care must be timed in such a way as to reach boys at young ages, and that helping parents, II. Adult Survivors of schools, and communities support boys' Childhood Sexual Abuse healthy sexual development must be a priority. Lindberg, L. D., Maddow-Zimet, I., & Marcell, Ports, K. A., Lee, R. D., Raiford, J., Spikes, A. V. (2019). Prevalence of sexual initiation P., Manago, C., & Wheeler, D. P. (2017). before age 13 years among male adolescents Adverse childhood experiences and health and young adults in the United States. JAMA and wellness outcomes among black men who Pediatrics, 173(6), 553–560. http://dx.doi. have sex with men. Journal of Urban Health, org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.0458 94(3), 375–383. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s11524-017-0146-1 Using data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) and the National This study probes the correlation between Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), this study adverse childhood experiences and self- sought to measure the prevalence of sexual reported mental and physical health among intercourse before age 13 among adolescent African American men who have sex with men boys. Among respondents ages 18-24 who (MSM). Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) experienced their first sexual intercourse were widely reported in a sample of 536 before age 13, approximately half (54.6%) African American MSM, with almost 90% of described the experience as wanted, 8.5% as respondents indicating that they experienced unwanted, and 37% had mixed feelings about at least one ACE. More than a third (36.3%) of respondents reported experiencing childhood sexual abuse. Higher ACE scores predicted poor self-reported mental health, but only childhood physical neglect and household substance abuse predicted self-reported poor physical health. The relationship between ACEs and HIV status was not significant. The authors argue that adult health interventions should incorporate trauma-informed approaches in light of the relationship between ACEs and negative health outcomes. Scheidell, J. D., Kumar, P. C., Campion, T., Quinn, K., Beharie, N., McGorray, S. P., & Khan, M. R. (2017). Child sexual abuse and HIV-related substance use and sexual risk across the life course among males and females. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 26(5), 519–534. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2 017.1319004 This study draws data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Sexual Victimization of Men: What the Research Says 3 Health to explore the relationship between This study of 423 mostly white undergraduate child sexual abuse, substance use, and high- men examined the correlation between risk sexual behaviors among men and women. childhood victimization, victimization during Out of a sample of 11,820 subjects (5,328 adulthood, and perpetration of violence during men and 6,492 women) surveyed throughout adulthood. Men who reported experiencing adolescence and adulthood, 9.8% of women childhood physical and sexual abuse were and 6.7% of men reported experiencing more likely to indicate that they experienced childhood sexual abuse. Victims of sexual adult sexual victimization. Men who indicated abuse were more likely than non-victims to they experienced childhood sexual abuse were report using cocaine and methamphetamine. also more likely to report perpetrating physical Men with histories of sexual abuse were more and sexual violence against intimate partners likely to report sex with multiple partners, in adulthood. The authors argue that because and victims of both sexes were more likely to college men are at risk for both victimization report sex trade involvement. and perpetration, prevention programs should address male victimization. Topitzes, J., Pate, D. J., Berman, N. D., & Medina-Kirchner, C. (2016). Adverse Williams, J. K., Wilton, L., Magnus, M., childhood experiences, health, and Wang, L., Wang, J., Dyer, T. P., Koblin, B. A., employment: A study of men seeking job Hucks-Ortiz, C., Fields, S. D., Shoptaw, S., services. Child Abuse & Neglect, 61, 23–34. Stephenson, R., O’Cleirigh, C., Cummings, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2016.09.012 V., & HIV Prevention Trials Network 061 Study Team. (2015). Relation of childhood This study looked at the connection between sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, adverse childhood experiences, health, and and depression to risk factors for HIV barriers to employment among low-income among black men who have sex with men men. Out of a sample of 199 mostly African in 6 U.S.