Dr Bonner-Thompson said: “Through this project we have shed light on the reality of men’s unwanted sexual experiences, and particularly what’s stopping them from coming forward for timely and appropriate help and support. There are multiple barriers, and these can be affected by how old they were then the incident occurred, their relationship with the perpetrator, their perception of what constitutes an unwanted sexual experience and how other people responded to any disclosure. However, we also found that barriers were shaped by society’s understanding of masculinities, gender and sexual violence as well as institutional practices, policies and procedures.”
“Participants identified ideal types of support and ways to access and engage with it. There is a clear need to raise awareness about this issue and improve responses to men when they disclose their experiences. With services for men who are survivors over-subscribed, funding to expand and improve provision is of paramount importance. Crucially, our research demonstrated that different types of men – according to sexuality, class, race, ethnicity and age – experience violence and barriers in different ways, so any interventions, awareness raising, services and policy require approaches that consider the diversity of men and men’s experiences.”