Peer-reviewed article

Abuse Characteristics, Multiple Victimisation and Resilience among Young Adult Males with Histories of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Madelaine Ressel, Jennifer Lyons, Elisa Romano · 22 Mar 2018

Abstract

Although researchers now concede that one in six men experiences childhood sexual abuse (CSA), this population remains understudied in both the empirical and clinical literature. Little is known about the characteristics of males' CSA experiences (e.g. duration, child‐perpetrator relationship) and about resilient functioning. This study described young adult males' abuse experiences during childhood and their current adaptive functioning. Participants were recruited from across North America through websites geared specifically for males with CSA histories. The sample included 46 males aged 17–25 years who anonymously completed an online questionnaire. Findings indicated that males tended to experience severe CSA, including early age of onset, invasive sexual acts and the use of perpetrator force. Males also reported the co‐occurrence of other forms of childhood maltreatment and adversity, including parental conflict, neglect, physical abuse and emotional maltreatment. Finally, males reported lower rates of resilience on standardised measures, compared with adult community samples in North America. However, scores were consistent with clinical age‐based norms for adolescents with trauma histories. This study contributes to the growing awareness of male CSA, multiple victimisation and its diverse outcomes. Implications of these findings for future research and clinical practice are considered. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ‘Contributes to the growing awareness of male CSA, multiple victimisation and its diverse outcomes’ Key Practitioner Messages The experiences of CSA among males were found to be severe and to occur alongside other forms of victimisation and adversity. Males with CSA histories experienced difficulties in their adaptation, in terms of coping with stress and functioning across work, school and interpersonal spheres. It is important that practitioners consider the serious impact of male CSA across multiple areas of functioning and inquire about other forms of victimisation when working with this population.