The Unheard Voices: A Content Analysis of Male Victims' Narratives on an Online Forum
Abstract
The discourse surrounding sexual assault and rape has been predominantly centered on female victims. The lack of male representation in the discourse has created a deficiency in knowledge regarding the topic of male rape as well as a shortage of resources allocated to aiding these victims. This thesis brings the voices of male victims into the discussion surrounding sexual assault. 74 narratives were randomly selected from the internet forum, Male Survivors, which aims to support male victims. These narratives were posted by male victims of sexual assault and contained a narration of the assault, including but not limited to rape. I collected data about the victims, the perpetrators, the relationship between the victim and perpetrator, the specified assault, disclosure, and the narrative characteristics. Through content analysis, I present quantitative data about the incidence of male sexual assault in addition to the unique voices of these male survivors to provide further insight into the male victims’ experience.