Male Sexual Abuse

Prevalence and Consequences

Abstract

Male victims of sexual abuse are often overlooked and marginalized. We seek to understand current literature surrounding male sexual assault victims with the ultimate goal of exploring the role of nursing in providing physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional care to the patient. We reviewed current literature, using keywords, including sexual assault/abuse, male sexual assault/abuse, male victims, female-perpetrated sexual assault, mental health, male survivors of sexual assault/abuse, and mental health of sexual assault/abuse survivors. Studies show that approximately one in six men is sexually abused in their lifetime, and the abuse often occurs before the age of 18 years (1in6, 2020). Male victims are less likely to report sexual abuse. Behavioral-specific questions may help identify this patient population to provide trauma-informed care. Nurses must be trained to identify, treat, and care for male sexual abuse victims. Any adverse events experienced in childhood must be appropriately addressed to prevent late effects in adulthood.