Office of the Victim Advocate

Special Victim Populations

Men as Victims

Rape is a men's issue for many reasons. One we don't often talk about is the fact that men are sexually assaulted. We need to start recognizing the presence of male survivors and acknowledging their unique experience. The following questions and answers can help us all learn about male survivors so that we stop treating them as invisible and start helping them heal:

How often are men sexually assaulted?

While the numbers vary from study to study, most research suggests that 10-20 percent of all males will be sexually violated at some point in their lifetimes. That translates into tens of thousands of boys and men assaulted each year alongside hundreds of girls and women.

If there are so many male survivors, why don't I know any?

Like female survivors, most male survivors never report being assaulted, even to people they know and trust. They fear being ignored, laughed at, disbelieved, shamed, accused of weakness, or questioned about being gay. Perhaps worst of all, men fear being blamed for the assault because they were not man enough to protect themselves in the face of an attack. For all these reasons, many male survivors remain silent and alone rather than risk further violation by those around them.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender Students

Sexual assault and relationship violence are about power and control and can be issues in any relationship, and can impact any individual regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Attraction does not motivate offenders. Anyone is capable of assaulting a person of any gender or sexual orientation.

Victims of any sexual orientation are likely to feel shame, blame, fear, and confusion. However, survivors who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender may face other issues as well.

Survivors may:

• Fear being forced to “come out” if they approach their family, the courts, or the police to report their victimization or fear that that their sexual orientation rather than the sexual assault will become the issue.
• Feel that they are betraying the LGBT community by “accusing” another LGBT person of bad behavior.
• Feel that they will receive hostile responses.
• Feel that the violence is a punishment for being gay.
• Feel uncomfortable seeking help or assistance because men view resources as having been established to serve primarily women.
• Lead to a male survivor questioning his masculinity. Although there are some different issues for male survivors—heterosexual, gay, and bisexual—male survivors are as profoundly affected by assaults as women.
• Feel powerless to control his or her environment. For someone who is used to a very independent lifestyle, the impact of the assault may be very disruptive because of increased fear, feelings of powerlessness to control her environment, and feelings of dependency. Sexual assault is not only a bodily violation; it is a violation of a lifestyle and a self of sense.
• Feel increased fear of pregnancy, since lesbian women are less likely than heterosexual woman to be on birth control- therefore concern about pregnancy may be greater.

How can you help an LGBT who has been victimized?

The University of Maryland provides 24-hour resources to students, staff, and faculty who have been the victim of a traumatic event. As a friend or partner of someone who has been victimized, you can help that person by:

• Encouraging your friend to talk with someone that he or she trusts and that is identified on campus as a “safe” person. “Safe” people have identified themselves by displaying a “Safe person, Safe place” sticker on or around his or her desk or office, or by displaying the “Rainbow Terrapin” emblem on or around his or her desk or office. “Safe” people have publicly identified him or herself as someone who is respectful and sensitive to the needs of the LGBT population.
• Referring your friend to the Office of the Victim Advocate. The Office of the Victim Advocate is a safe place for survivors who identify as LGBT.

Woman to Woman Assault

When women are assaulted or abused by other women, the survivor often experiences a sense of betrayal and disbelief that a woman could assault another woman or that the relationship imbalance typically reserved for heterosexual relationships could be present in the lesbian relationship. It is important to remember that, even though woman-to- woman assaults are less frequent and less reported, the emotional reactions to an act of sexual violence or an abusive relationship are the same as any other woman. Since woman-to-woman assaults are rarely perpetrated by strangers, lesbian survivors may feel an increased sense of betrayal and vulnerability, as they struggle to find someone who they can trust.

Male-to-Male Assault

When men are raped by other men, in addition to the typical reactions expected of a survivor of violence, a male survivor may question his masculinity and fear additional violence—by either the perpetrator or other parties seeking to “punish” the man further for being gay or bisexual. Assaults occur between gay or bisexual men, heterosexual men, and by heterosexual men against men perceived to be gay or bisexual.