A phenomenological study of men who have experienced sexual abuse in childhood or adolescence
Date
1988
Authors
Hubberstey, Carol
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Abstract
This study investigated, using a phenomenological approach, the male experience of sexual abuse during childhood or adolescence. Only those men who had not themselves knowingly committed sexual offences were accepted for the study. As was indicated by the literature review, very few studies have explored the issue of male sexual abuse. Instead most research efforts have tended to include the male experience as an addendum to the more frequently reported female experience. There are many reasons why this may have occurred, not the least of which is the undeniable reality that girls are overwhelmingly the victims of sexual abuse and that men are overwhelmingly the perpetrators of such abuse. In the meantime though such practice may have contributed to the mistaken impression that boys are infrequent victims, and certainly has led to the collection of substantially less data on the subject.
Those studies which do exist generally fit into one of four general categories: the criminal justice system, mental-health clinics, hospital emergency room cases, and general surveys. Few if any studies have drawn from a volunteer sample of the general population and none has utilized the phenomenological approach with the express purpose of elucidating the individual's experience of the phenomenon. In this study five men who had experienced childhood sexual abuse voluntarily agreed to be interviewed two to three times each. The discussion centered on their recollected experiences within the context of their families, the abuse, its ending, and the meaning or place it subsequently had in their lives. A situated descriptive account was written for each participant followed by a general comparative account of the totality of their experiences.
It was found that all of the participants had been abused by an older male. One was abused by two boys older than himself. The participants revealed two common family characteristics: weak or nonexistent sibling ties, and/or poor relationships with their fathers.
The general pattern of abuse began with an "engagement phase" wherein each boy was befriended by an older male who had stature or authority in the community or with their parents or both. This was followed by the "sexual abuse phase" which for the most part represented a confusing and frightening betrayal of the original trusting relationship. Salient features of this phase included, but were not confined to, a sense of guilt for having acquiesced to the sexual demands, internal conflict or confusion over the issue of responsibility, and some confusion over self-image and sexuality. At the time it may have represented a moral, emotional, and physical dilemma. A lack of information or environmental support, whether real or perceived, compounded the situation as did the realization that for the most part circumstances had more of a role in ending the relationship than did the desires or wishes of participants.
Coping strategies in the form of denial, blocking out, compartmentalizing, taking on new roles, and relegating the experience to the past, were also noted. When asked, four out of the five men indicated that the experience had been important, particularly in terms of sexuality, ability to enjoy intimate relationships, and self-image. These issues had not necessarily diminished in time as it was apparent that the participants continued to find connections between their past experiences and current behaviours.
In the final chapter the findings contained within this study are looked at in relation to those of previous studies. Recommendations for future studies are made and general implications for counselling are noted.