The Impact of Sexual Assault on Survivors

  • 40% of rape survivors develop sexually transmitted infections as a result of sexual assault.
  • 80% of rape survivors suffer chronic physical or psychological problems over time.
  • Rape survivors are 13 times more likely to attempt suicide than are people who are not raped.
  • Rape survivors are six times more likely to attempt suicide than are survivors of other crimes.
  • 25–50% of sexual assault survivors seek mental health treatment as a result of the assault.

In addition to physical and emotional damage, college students who have been sexually assaulted suffer from a host of problems that impede academic achievement. In nearly every case, victims cannot perform at the same academic level they did prior to the attack.

Sexual assault sometimes causes students to be unable to carry a normal class load, and they miss classes more frequently. This is often a result of social withdrawal or a way to avoid seeing the perpetrator.

Student survivors regularly withdraw from courses altogether. In more traumatic incidents, victims leave the school until they recover, sometimes transferring to another college.

Did you know:

  • 1 out of every 10 men in the U.S. has diabetes.
  • 1 out of every 8 men has heart disease.
  • 1 out of every 6 men has been sexually abused.

As a man you may feel alone, but you are not.

“I am not alone!" This is possibly the most common phrase that male survivors of sexual abuse internalize when they are able to finally reach out to friends, family, professionals and organizations.1

Sexual abuse inflicts severe emotional and often times physical trauma, and is a burden no human being is able to carry alone. Yet the fear survivors all share often leads to a life of silence, seclusion\ and pain. Abuse survivors are at higher risk for substance abuse, depression, and suicide. Most survivors live in isolation because they don’t know that they are not alone. You may feel afraid, alone, and wondering what to do or where to go.1

What are some possible effects of sexual assault on a male survivor?

Psychological:

  • Sense of self and concept of "reality" are disrupted.
  • Profound anxiety, depression, fearfulness
  • Concern about sexual orientation
  • Development of phobias related to the assault setting.
  • Fear of the worst happening and having a sense of a shortened future
  • Withdrawal from interpersonal contact and a heightened sense of alienation
  • Stress-induced reactions (problems sleeping, increased startle response, being unable to relax)

Psychological outcomes can be severe for men because men are socialized to believe they are immune to sexual assault and because societal reactions to these assaults can be more isolating.

Heterosexual Male Survivors:

  • May experience a fear that the assault will make them gay
  • May feel that they are “less of a man”

Homosexual Male Survivors:

  • May feel the crime is “punishment” for their sexual orientation
  • May worry that the assault affected their sexual orientation
  • May fear they were targeted because they are gay. This fear may lead to withdrawal from the community.
  • May develop self-loathing related to their sexual orientation

Relationships/Intimacy:

  • Relationships may be disrupted by the assault.
  • Relationships may be disrupted by others’ reactions to the assault, such as a lack of belief/support.
  • Relationships may be disrupted by the survivor’s reaction to or coping with the assault.

Emotional:

  • Anger about the assault, leading to outward- and inward-focused hostility.
  • Avoidance of emotions or emotional situations, stemming from the overwhelming feelings that come with surviving a sexual assault.2

References

  1. Source: https://www.malesurvivor.org/adult-survivors.html
  2. Source: http://www.rainn.org/get-information