Sexual Abuse of Male Children: Current Status and Future Directions

Abstract

Child sexual abuse is a broader term used to denote when an adult or adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Despite society is aware of the female victims of child abuse, male counterparts go unheard due to the strong notions of gender stereotypes, stigma, shame and other associated effects. As per the reports from different parts of the world, on average, 12–17% of the reported child sexual abuse cases are of boys. The general preconception of society that boys do not get raped is accelerating the silence of the victims. In 2007, India Government conducted a survey on the issue and found that 52.9% of the reported child sexual abuse cases consists of male victims. Since it is a largely unexplored area, this chapter aims to understand the magnitude of the issue and its long-term effects on the victims with the help of existing research. The chapter highlights how the gender stereotypes interplay with seeking help and treatment and nullifying the impact of the issue. It is also trying to explore the challenges to tackle the issues with the management of the problem in a wider lens and trying to recommend some paths of future research and social policy formation.