Sexually Abused Male Children, Annotated Bibliography Example

Denov, M. (2003). The Myth of Innocence: Sexual Scripts and the Recognition of Child Sexual Abuse by Female Perpetrators. Journal of Sex Research, 40(3), 303-314.

Denov (2003) utilizes recent data to challenge public perceptions concerning sexual scripts and perpetrators of sexual abuse and cites (as support) the DSM-IV assertion that sexual disorders are rarely diagnosed in females. Denov draws the information from both case studies and self-reporting. This resource makes a valiant attempt at accounting for the unreported cases of sexual abuse and even separates male and female victim statistics involving female perpetrators, and, startlingly, reveals that- out of the 106 self-reported sexually abused convicts- forty-two percent had been sexually abused by females. These socially-attributed sexual scripts are an influential contributing factor in the underreporting of cases of molestation and sexual abuse. Denov uses the The Literature Review Summary is an invaluable tool for evaluating the differences in figures presented and in the studies’ definitions of sexual abuse. This is a comprehensive and compassionate resource which briefly examines a large variety of contributors to the sexual abuse of male children in an accessible and thorough manner.

Farber, E., Showers, J., Johnson, C., Joseph, J., & Oshins, L. (1984). The Sexual Abuse of Children: A Comparison of Male and Female Victims. Journal of Clinical Child   Psychology, 13(3), 294.

Farber, Showers, Johnson, Joseph, and Oshins (1984) examined the status of contributing factors in the sexual abuse of male and female children. This comparison was an enlightening and qualitative venture which successfully demonstrates the likelihood that there are many unacknowledged cases of sexual abuse against male children, writing that the abuse of a male child is less likely to be discovered due to greater embarrassment and fewer apparent physical symptoms. Nearly half of the abused children experience these assaults on a regular basis and emphasize the prevalence of acquaintance or family abuse and are likely to have long-lasting emotional effects in victims of either sex. The perpetrator’s forced actions are attributed to a violent outburst of anger upon defenseless victims- regardless of sex- who happen to innocently wander into a situation of increased vulnerability. In younger children, this is an acceptable statement, but it is unclear what ages and types of sexual contact were included in the study. The inclusion or exclusion of statutory rape, for example, could significantly alter the findings.

Hartill, M. (2005). Sport and the sexually abused male child1. Sport, Education & Society, 10(3), 287-304. doi:10.1080/13573320500254869.

Hartill (2005) begins by explaining that the popularity of sexual abuse research largely stemmed from feminist interest and thus generally ignored the case studies and relevant data involving male children. This social preconstruction Hartill calls the Male perpetrator- female victim paradigm. His referenced literature comes from empirical facts and case studies from social work and therapy from as long ago as the sixties. The survey of information leads the author to agree with Mendel, who viewed the “taboo against disclosure” (288) as an enabling factor in the unrecognized continued abuse of male children and as a barrier which prevents an atmosphere of recovery and thus continues to affect the life of the male child well into their adult years. If the reader can stomach the vociferous nature of Hartill’s accusations of sexism against the abuse research, then there are discussions of the theoretical perspectives and developmental models which are relevant to the study of the progression of life in male adults who were abused as children.

Lemelin, H.R. (2006). Running to Stand Still: The Story of a Victim, A Survivor, A Wounded Healer—A Narrative of Male Sexual Abuse from the Inside. Journal of Loss & Trauma, 11(4), 337-350. doi:10.1080/15325020600663128.

Lemelin (2006) blends sociological aspects, such as ethnographies, personal accounts, poetry, and prose into one cohesive account of the internal and external effects upon male adults survivors of sexual abuse and of the challenges and misconceptions that they face- even from the professionals intended to help them. This uniquely personal qualitative work proceeds seamlessly from past to present to future and educates the audience in the everyday consequences for males who were sexually abused- some of whom immediately sought help and some of whom didn’t. Many victims initially provided an unqualified disclosure, i.e. told an family member or friend, and were often met with skepticism and scorn. Regardless, facing what happened is embraced as the first therapeutic step toward really dealing with the trauma. This is the most unique and compelling approach that I encountered while reviewing possible sources of information regarding sexual abuse. The usefulness of this essay will depend upon the researcher’s frame of context for study. For a strictly clinical approach, this essay will be ineffectual; for a realistic glimpse into social work, this essay will be priceless.

Kort, J. (2004). Covert Cultural Sexual Abuse of Gay Male Teenagers Contributing to Etiology of Sexual Addiction. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 11(4), 287-300. doi:10.1080/10720160490900632.

Kort (2004) provides a very important clue to the development of sexuality in previously assaulted males. Adult male victims who had been abused as a child are more likely to attempt to seize the power over their memories through the reenactment of their sexual abuse as a child. When this reenactment becomes habitual, sexual addiction is often the result. It examines the social pressure which makes the homosexual child abuse victim feel that there past is a result of their action and that they must hide both their past abuse and current sexual orientation. The discussion of heterosexism bears direct relevance to the failure of social work and mental health professionals to recognize the unique need to accept the patient’s development rather than force upon homosexual patients (who were often abused as children) approaches which were designed for heterosexual, female patients. Another unique aspect of this study is its emphasis on both overt and covert sexual abuse and its ability to express the differences and examples in engaging language.

Lillywhite, R., & Skidmore, P. (2006). Boys are not sexually exploited? A challenge to practitioners. Child Abuse Review, 15(5), 351-361.

Lillywhite and Skidmore (2006) emphasize the gender bias of practitioners who come into contact with sexual abuse victims. Given the same situation, male children are often not considered “at risk” for sexual abuse when female children are. This reveals a two-fold bias: that male children are not often sexually abused and that females (which would include potential perpetrators) are more vulnerable to attack. The authors point out that- in the past- HIV studies of males has mainly been limited to ‘rent boys’ and homosexuals. This research has still offered considerable insight into the social development of the sexualization of males. Inadvertently, the research has fortified the view that homosexuality is either forced or is a product mostly of growing cultural acceptance. Instead, both the sexual abuse of- and homosexuality in- males is linked and is not a matter of sudden onslaught. The awareness projects are an excellent idea, but they underestimate the social bias which must be overcome. Lillywhite and Skidmore (2006) reported that one victim told a project worker, “I went to the toilets on the common because I thought I was gay and it was the only place I knew that I could meet gay men” (357). The emphasis often strays from specific tactics to rectify practitioner bias, but the information has merit.

Nielsen, T. (1983). Sexual Abuse of Boys: Current Perspectives. Personnel & Guidance Journal, 62(3), 139.

Nielsen (1983) singles out the rise of new technologies as one of the primary vehicles for promising research regarding sexual abuse treatment and therapeutic techniques. She points out that the only significant difference in the facts of child sexual abuse are in regards to their level of acquaintance with the perpetrator; male victims are usually attacked by strangers and often in outdoor settings. While this reduces their risk of being repeatedly abused, it also decreases the chances of catching the perpetrator responsible- if the male child even feels comfortable enough to report the abuse. The examination describes the categorization and ontology of various perspectives within the study of male sexual abuse. This very specific, detail-oriented qualitative paper relates the information in a very personable way, as if getting the direct information from a mental health or law enforcement insider. Of the nonrelated male offenders, the fixated perpetrator presents a greater threat, because he continually fantasizes about forcing sex upon children; much of Nielsen’s review of the current perspectives focuses on this profile of a sexual abuser. Regardless, the discussions of the power-abuse link have broad applications and are chillingly poignant.

Ponton, L., & Goldstein, D. (2004). Sexual abuse of boys by clergy. Adolescent Psychiatry, 28209-229.

Ponton and Goldstein (2004) explore a touchy and highly publicized aspect of the sexual abuse of boys: the widespread involvement of Catholic priests. First, the mixed study explores the reporting of male sexual abuse, the characteristics of priests’ abuse, the psychological ramifications, the psychiatric diagnosis, the expression of concerns about sexuality and orientation, the victim’s subsequent sexual abuse of others, and how this affects spiritual development. In addition, two case studies are presented- one which was brought to mental health practitioners within four years and one that was kept secret for more than forty years. These two studies, when compared side-by-side, present a short-term and long-term conceptualization of the effects of clergy sexual abuse on male worshippers. Some of them repressed the memories altogether, but this does not prevent glimpses of the assault or separate the events from the realm of influence over an individual’s development. This is one area which the author only vaguely addresses, which is another unrecognized area of the study of male sexual abuse. One crucial point to the understanding of this abuse is the feeling that their struggle with homosexual fantasies often cause them to resent themselves as they begin to identify with the silent temptations of clergymen.

Salter, D., McMillan, D., Richards, M., Talbot, T., Hodges, J., Bentovim, A., et al. (2003). Development of sexually abusive behaviour in sexually victimised males: a longitudinal   study. Lancet, 361(9356), 471.

Salter, McMillan, Richards, Talbot, Hodges, Bentovim, Hastings, Stevenson, and Skuse (2003) examine the correlation between being the victim and later the perpetrator of sexual abuse in males. The average age of male participants in the study were 11 years old. Using their records of sexually abused participants, researchers independently sought information regarding the likelihood of the former victims becoming perpetrators of child sexual abuse. Within their findings there was still a great deal of variation in the responses of the victims. Some became perpetrators; some did not. Some experienced mental barriers to learning; some did not. Some sought help; some did not, etc. The link is not as strong as had always been depicted, but these many variations present a need for more research which might shed light. These results were drawn from the UK, so it would provide an interesting base of comparison for future American and other international studies.

Spencer, M., & Dunklee, P. (1986). Sexual Abuse of Boys. Pediatrics, 78 (1), 133.

Spencer and Dunklee (1986) utilized the unique advantages of studying sexual abuse in San Diego- where there is an established hospital and health care center for children. Even with underreporting in male victims, they represented nine percent of the facilities’ sexual abuse admissions. Contrary to most other studies, this examination asserts that a startling sixty-eight percent of the male victims (up to the age of seventeen) knew their abuser. Of the 160 alleged victims that were studied between 1979 to 1984, twenty of the accusations were judged to be false, although the authors are not clear in regards to the source of the accusations’ dismissal. Acquaintance-perpetrators were generally comprised of substitute father figures, previously-convicted sex offenders, and “known homosexuals”. The homophobic tone in some points of the paper discredits the relation of qualitative judgments, but the methodology for numerical data collection appears to be sound. Only the quantitative data is deemed to be reliable and neutral.

Timmerman, G. (2005). A comparison between girls’ and boys’ experiences of unwanted sexual behaviour in secondary schools. Educational Research, 47(3), 291-306. doi:10.1080/00131880500287641.

Timmerman (2005) examines one of the underrated aspects of sexual abuse: covert abuse. Specifically in the context of secondary schools, male children are socialized to believe that a constant pursuit of sex is normal, that statutory rape is a concrete indicator of sexual maturity and attractiveness, and that men should never refuse- much less complain about- sexual advances. This particular study is of interest for two reasons: a) it does not minimalize the implications of covert sexual behavior and b) it examines the effects on young adults in a crossroads of their sexual, mental, and emotional development. After this examination of the results, it is no surprise that most of the male participants expressed feelings of anger, foolishness, embarrassment, and powerlessness. My main complaint is that a view that this behavior is only a mild indicator of possible current or future developmental problems- such as the use of the phrases ‘unwanted sexual attention’, ‘sexual harassment’ or ‘unwelcome sexual contact’ and the subsequent statement that sexual harassment is a continuum. Unwanted sexual advances cannot be divided into negligible categories if sensitivity to the complexities of sexuality and its implications for abuse are to be fully understood.