Successful men are depicted as never being vulnerable, either physically or emotionally. This myth implies that a boy or man who has been sexually used or abused will never be a “real man.” Our society expects males to be able to protect themselves.
It’s central to masculine gender socialization, and boys pick up on it very early in life. The myth that boys can’t be sexually used or abused, and if one is, he can never be a “real man.”Įveryone absorbs the myth that males aren’t victims, to some extent.
Sexual abuse is the result of abusive behavior that takes advantage of a child’s vulnerability and is in no way related to the sexual orientation of the abusive person.