Myths And Facts About Male Rape
For more information contact: Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault
123 South 7th St., Ste. 500, Springfield, IL (217) 753-4117
Myth: Only women can be raped.
Fact: Men can be and are sexually assaulted everyday. The FBI estimates that 1 in 10 males in Orange County will be sexually victimized in their lifetime.
Myth: Men who rape other men are gay.
Fact: Rape is not about sexual preference or desire - it is an act of power and control. The motivation of the rapist is to humiliate and brutalize another person. A survey of convicted rapists found that at least half of these men did not care about the sex of their victims, they raped both men and women. Most male rapists are either heterosexual or suffer great confusion about their sexual identity.
Myth: Men who rape other men are psychotic.
Fact: There is no evidence to support this belief. Rape is a reflection of a "macho" society which trains men to strive to dominate and control others and to avoid the open expression and acknowledgment of feelings.
Myth: Victims of male rape must be gay.
Fact: Both straight and gay men can be raped; most studies report that at least half (and more often the clear majority) of victims are exclusively heterosexual.
Myth: Rape is something that doesn't happen to "real men".
Fact: Rape is something that can and does happen to an entire spectrum of men, regardless of physical strength or fighting powers. Reported survivors have included a boxer and a man over 6'2" and over 200 lbs. Being raped does not mean that the survivor is weak or "a wimp". Anyone can be overpowered or taken by surprise attack.
Myth: Male rape only happens in prison, and is due to the lack of sexually available women.
Fact: The rape of men in prisons is a classic example of men using rape as a means of experiencing themselves as powerful and in control. Male rape happens much more often in society at large than we realize: but the victims rarely tell anyone. Many rape crisis centers report that as many as 10% of their callers are male survivors.
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Last Updated: 08/18/2005
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--Margaret Mead