Male-on-male rape is a critically under-researched area in the sexual violence literature. This is in part due to narratives that portray sexual violence as a female-only issue, which has led to substantial gaps in the current knowledge on male-on-male survivors’ experiences. However, evidence suggests that male sexual violence is prevalent and carries significant psychological consequences for men.
Furthermore, additional barriers exist for male survivors due to regressive gender norms that restrict emotionality, discourage men from seeking professional help and reporting to the police. As such, a detailed exploration of male-on-male survivors’ experiences is desperately needed to understand i) the challenges for recognition and disclosure, ii) the barriers to access and successful therapeutic support, and iii) the challenges in accessing and involving the police and the Criminal Justice System (CJS).