Power and Prejudice: Exploring the Impact of Dominant Discourse on Disclosure and Treatment Seeking Among Male Victims of Adult Sexual Assault
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Authors
Callaghan, Taylor
Issue Date
2025-11-14
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
male victims , adult sexual assault , male rape myths , hegemonic masculinity , dominant discourse
Alternative Title
Abstract
Male victims of adult sexual assault (ASA) face unique barriers to disclosure and support seeking post-assault, which pose mental health risks. Research shows these barriers are most often rooted in stigma and rape myths. Despite growing attention to ASA and increased self-reporting rates represented by male and gender diverse victims, their treatment needs remain understudied and largely absent from public discourse, particularly from an intersectional perspective. This paper explores how gendered cultural narratives and rape myths impact male victims’ disclosure, reception, and treatment-seeking. In this narrative review, relevant peer-reviewed literature on male ASA published between 1980 and 2025 was thematically analyzed. Intersectional feminist and discourse analysis frameworks were utilized to illuminate and explore the roles of power and prejudice in male and gender diverse ASA victimization, along with implications for disclosure, treatment seeking behaviours, barriers to support, and gaps in services. Four key themes emerged: the gendered construction of sexual assault, male rape myths, hegemonic masculinity, and prejudice against marginalized identities. These elements in dominant discourse significantly influenced victims’ disclosure and treatment seeking behaviour, resulting in notable consequences and gaps in services, particularly for multiply marginalized victims. Observed consequences include decreased ability to perceive themselves as victims and reduced willingness to disclose, report, or seek treatment. Many victims also experienced high rates of self-blame, discrimination, stigma, secondary victimization, harmful compensatory behaviours, suicidality, and systemic and sociocultural barriers to receiving care. Findings underscore the imperative for gender-inclusive ASA responses, improved cultural competency about the intersections of identity and ASA, and expanded research, education, and advocacy to support male and gender diverse victims of ASA.
Description
Citation
Publisher
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States
openAccess
openAccess