Saavindi Diwakar
Sexual assault is a serious issue that affects people of all genders, yet the men who are victims of sexual assault will not often voice their experiences. Many of the male victims who do feel that the incidents regarding sexual assault do not report the occurrences affecting their activities, as this leads to a significant gap in understanding how severe the problem is.
This under-reporting is a serious concern as it significantly adversely affects those who are involved in the events for which the incident was true and hides the experiences behind male victimisation when discussing them in a societal context. As Audre Lorde famously stated a long time ago, “Your Silence will not protect you,” this will then go on to perpetuate the culture of stigma that surrounds male victims and makes the work to deal with the issue extremely difficult, effectively.
In an attempt to query, the study aims to answer the research question of what key barriers stop men from reporting sexual assault and whether these barriers can be made ineffective. By looking at the cultural, social and institutional challenges and the inhibiting role of the local existing policies, this study aims to shed light on the people facing prevalent barriers that men encounter. In the long run, the goal is to offer actionable recommendations to help create a more supportive environment that will encourage male victims to report and seek the help they require.
This looks at the quantitative approach to gain a more in-depth understanding of the barriers stopping men from reporting sexual assault through interviews with male survivors, discussions and surveys conducted with key people such as law enforcement authorities and medical care providers; specifically, it addresses the issue of male sexual assault in Sri Lanka, noting that cultural differences and regional variations will restrict how widely the findings are applied. Even though this study shows us a good insight into the issues faced by male victims, it is imperative to remember that the experiences will differ in the context of other underlying areas. It is important that there is a realisation that male sexual assault is more common than many people will think, yet the statistics displayed can tell of a serious gap in the reporting aspect.
Research results show that there is a significant number of men who have been sexually assaulted in the past. Yet, only a small number of these cases are reported to the authorities to ensure that their past ordeal is not supported anymore. This huge gap between reporting and non-reporting shows us a serious issue requiring attention.
In certain cases, several factors cause underreporting of male victimisation within sexual assault cases. An important reason for this stalking of men is that there is a fear of stigma and shame that are associated with having been a male victim once they become aware that campaigning against sexual assault is going on. The societal views that are common at this point dictate that men have to be strong and invulnerable; therefore, this is causing difficulty for men to report victimisation to the police.
Apart from this, male survivors also suffer from a lack of specific support systems that are designed for males and would offer the necessary support and assistance. Many of the resources that are available in the form of support groups and hotlines are directed at women only, with the result that men are left to feel unsupported and overwhelmed by a lack of appropriate support. Misconceptions about the nature of male victimisation also exist and hinder the experiences that males have undergone. Furthermore, society believes that men have no career potential and therefore are not capable of becoming victimised, this means that men continue to believe that their experiences do not exist in real terms. Therefore men are left feeling hostile towards them.
Cultural norms around masculinity perpetuate the idea of silence surrounding victimisation. This is supported by traditional beliefs that men should be stoic and should be able to handle problems independently, this leads to many men feeling that if they admit to being a victim of something, they will experience shame due to society’s belief that admitting to being a victim is a sign of weakness. The social attitudes in society are reinforced through peer pressure and social attitudes that repeat that men who report when they suffer an incident are seen as no good and should be avoided by society.
Individual barriers also affect a person’s ability to cope. Law enforcement and healthcare systems frequently do not possess the training and sufficient resources to provide the support that is required by male victims so that they can feel supported. This hinders society’s progress in creating supportive environments for those who are victims of assault.
Current policies regarding sexual assault recording are generally perceived as inadequate and are poorly equipped to support male victims. Many frameworks have been put together with gender-specific designs, and as a result, men feel alienated when they wish to report sexual assault. This lack of inclusivity in how sexual assault is handled further entrenches feelings of invisibility and prejudice towards men. It will therefore create further difficulty with how the reporting process for male victims operates.
To deal with the shortfalls found in support of male survivors of sexual assault, it is important to pitch in for policies that recognise and value male victimisation. Policymakers should include legislation that offers a structure to deal with the barriers that men face when describing themselves as victims of sexual assault and ensure that their experiences are considered within law-making procedures.
Training must be given to both law enforcement and healthcare professionals to provide them with the necessary sensitivities to support male survivors of sexual assault.
Creating a supportive environment is critical to encourage men to come forward with a report of an assault. Promoting awareness campaigns that are directed at men allows the public to understand that reporting an assault does not mean that the accuser is weak in coping with the trauma involved. Changing the public narrative around male victimisation can help reduce stigma and barriers in society, fostering an environment where men can openly discuss issues related to assault.
The development of resources for male survivors is often achieved by creating support groups that specifically target male community users.
The groups need to be created so that those male survivors have a safe place to share their experiences with other men who are also suffering from similar circumstances. These groups need to be planned in such a way that they remain accessible to male survivors so that people involved in forming the groups are trained in the ways that everything continues to be conducted, ensuring that the survivors have a safe place to share their personal experiences with a community of other males who are also concerned by the same problems.
Comprehensive professional training programs should include a focus on the psychological effects and experiences of sexual assault on men who are involved in first-response roles.
It is also important for the policy-making bodies to make improvements in the healthcare and law enforcement practices to implement reforms to ensure that all victims of sexual assault are treated in a safe and validated fashion by the authorities.
Public awareness initiatives must get the community educated about male abusers and the importance of the support that is provided. By implementing these recommendations, a society where male survivors will be empowered to report the assaults that have occurred to them and the support that they can require will be created.
This will see a move towards creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for both male and female survivors of abuse.
