Today Charles discusses some of his own professional and personal experiences with sexual abuse, other victims and offenders along with myths surrounding it and how assault of boys and men can be serious obstacles to understanding and healing. It’s important to learn how wrong they are.
Researchers have found that at least 1 in 6 men have experienced sexual abuse or assault, whether in childhood or as adults. And this is probably a low estimate since it doesn’t include noncontact experiences, which can also have lasting negative effects. If you’ve had such an experience, or think you might have, you are not alone.
For any man harmed by unwanted or abusive sexual experiences – and anyone who wants to support him – becoming free of these myths is necessary to overcoming the effects of the abuse, and to achieving the life he wants and deserves.
- Myth 1 – Boys can’t be sexually abused
- Myth 2 – It was his fault
- Myth 3 – Sexual abuse is less harmful to males
- Myth 4 – Only gay men sexually abuse
- Myth 5 – Being a male survivor means you’re gay
- Myth 6 – Males abused by females “got lucky”
- Myth 7 – Male survivors will abuse others
