MALE RAPE   by Gregory L. Cason, Ph.D.

 Does it happen?  Statistics on male rape are rare, encouraging the belief that it doesn't really happen.  But, it does.  In light of the recent scandals affecting the Catholic Church, many think of male rape as that between an adult and a child.  But, males who are over 18 are being sexually assaulted by other males happens more often than anyone seems willing to admit.  Silence is common among those who were assaulted.  The majority of adult men who are raped never report their rape to police or hospitals and, in fact, never tell anyone at all, including friends or family.  Most cases also involve kidnapping and burglary/robbery or both.

Those who do tell of their assault have to suffer the humiliation of insensitive and accusing law enforcement officers, blame by family and friends, and misunderstanding of human service organizations, including rape crisis hotlines, where the problem is commonly misunderstood.

There are some very real reasons why many do not acknowledge male rape in our community.  Besides the few numbers of reported rapes, most males do not want to accept that they can be and are survivors of rape.  Also, male rape is a taboo topic (note your own reaction when you read the title of this article).  There is little understanding about it and it is not specifically recognized by the laws in many states.  The result is that male sexual assault is continually being swept under the rug.  When it is talked about, some incorrect assumptions are made.

There is a general assumption that male rape is thought to be perpetrated by gay men on to victims who are heterosexual men or boys, but the opposite is true.  Male rape is more likely to be perpetrated by an attacker who describes himself as heterosexual on to men he believes to be gay or bisexual.

Though  it is generally recognized that rape is much more about aggression, violence, domination, and humiliation than it is to do with sexual pleasure and gratification.  When men are attacked by other men, the thought is often that it is pleasure motivated.  This attribution of a "pleasure motivation" is usually based on misconceptions and negative preconceptions of homosexuality.

Many people believe that being a gay man means that one is motivated by one thing: sex.  This translates into either thinking the gay men are the ones who are assaulting "innocent heterosexuals" or that gay men somehow provoked or even enjoyed the attack on themselves because they are gay.  Both of these notions blame the victim for the rape.

There are many reasons that have been postulated why men (mostly heterosexual) rape other men (mostly homosexual).  The first theory suggests that the attackers are in some way attracted to having sex with other men, but are also repulsed and need to destroy that part of themselves in others.  This is also a theory behind gay bashings and murders.  This theory was shown to have hold true in an experiment where men who described themselves as heterosexual where shown gay pornographic movies and where hooked-up to instruments to measure their sexual arousal during the films.  Those with the most negative attitudes toward gay men before the viewing of the film where also the ones with the most sexual arousal to the gay pornographic films.

Also, as many male rapes are perpetrated by a group of males, some of the rapists in the group will have felt pressured to participate by a group of males.  There may be a ring leader who convinces those in the group that this is something the group needs to do to punish or hurt men they perceive to be gay.  Some of the rapists in the group will have felt pressured to participate to maintain in-group power status. 

The next, and perhaps most frightening, is that many rapists see themselves as an "agent of social control."  In this dynamic, the rapist actually feels he is doing society's bidding.  With the current anti-gay campaign propagated by some religious groups and political figures, let alone the prejudice in our own families and workplaces and schools, it is not difficult to see where these ideas come from.

Male rape, not unlike female rape, may be created by a dynamic related to our own society.  Society teaches people to hate gays or at least to view them as "sinners" or, even, less-than human.  Many people take the teaching to heart, especially when it comes from their preacher, teacher, friends, or family.  In an April 2002 Newsweek Poll, Americans were asked in “thinking about what might be done to protect the rights of gays and lesbians… Do you think there should or should not be legally sanctioned gay marriages?”  Over half (57%) of Americans said they should not.

Many people who hold negative attitudes toward lesbians and gay men combined with their reference groups (church, family, friends) who hold negative attitudes toward lesbians and gay men do not find much problem acting in the name of hate against gay men as many of those around them that they respect and admire condone their actions, even if by silence.  Think of those times you may have heard of someone who has been sentenced to time in jail or prison and someone makes a joke about part of the punishment being that he will become “Bubba’s boyfriend.” 

There are may actions that we must take to prevent and treat male rape.  The first thing that needs to be done is to break the silence.  We need to recognize that silence allows this to continue, and it must not.  The second thing is that lesbian and gay cultural sensitivity training needs to be conducted with human service agencies, especially rape crisis centers and police departments, so that we can confront our own negative attitudes that may "blame the victim" rather than helping them.  And we must consider these trainings the beginning as even my own research has shown that brief “one-shot” interventions do little to change attitudes for most people.  Rather, these workshops need to be the first of many experiences.  Third, we need to educate ourselves, our agencies, and especially those most at risk, gay men, about the dynamics and prevention of this terrible tragedy.  The ordeal that women have known and experienced can and does also happen to men.  For everyone who experiences it, rape is very real and very traumatic.  It must not be ignored.