“A boy, being a victim, nobody really buys that, you know?”: Dynamics of sexual violence against boys

Abstract The aim of this study was to present the dynamics of sexual violence against boys. Interviews were conducted with four male victims of sexual abuse between the ages of six and 10, as well as four psychologists employed in the health care system and involved in the treatment of sexually abus...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Child abuse & neglect 2017-08, Vol.70, p.53-64
Main Authors: Hohendorff, Jean Von, Habigzang, Luísa Fernanda, Koller, Silvia Helena
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent boys
Boys
Brazil
Child
Child Abuse, Sexual - statistics & numerical data
Child Advocacy
Child sexual abuse
Content analysis
Discrimination
Family
Health care
Health services
Humans
Juvenile offenders
Male
Males
Medical referrals
Narratives
Offenders
Pediatrics
Proximity
Psychiatry
Psychologists
Psychology
Referrals
Service network
Sex crimes
Sex Factors
Sexual Abuse
Sexual violence
Social Discrimination
Social invisibility
Teenagers
Victims
Victims of crime
Violence
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Summary:Abstract The aim of this study was to present the dynamics of sexual violence against boys. Interviews were conducted with four male victims of sexual abuse between the ages of six and 10, as well as four psychologists employed in the health care system and involved in the treatment of sexually abused boys. Results were examined using thematic content analysis, based on six deductively identified themes corresponding to the following stages of sexual violence against children and adolescents: preparation, episodes, silencing, narratives, repression and overcoming. The results suggested that proximity between victims and offenders, who were mostly adolescent boys, was a facilitator of abuse. The interviews also revealed that victims faced significant levels of disbelief and discrimination. Lastly, the findings pointed to the importance of protective actions and of the system itself, though all practitioners perceived the latter as flawed and unprepared to handle cases involving sexually abused boys. These findings underscore the social invisibility of sexual violence against boys, due to the low number of referrals as well as the disbelief and discrimination, which permeates the management of these cases.
ISSN:0145-2134
1873-7757
DOI:10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.05.008