ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part explores how victimised men reconcile their experiences with ‘military masculinity’. Perhaps the parameters of manliness can conveniently shift: warriors show strength by seeking help. It points out, in the US military alone, sexual violence against men has received more attention in the last few years than in the institution’s previous two-and-a-half centuries. The part describes an ‘atmosphere of incredulity’ regarding claims that victimisation rates among women and men are much less divergent than assumed. It looks at one particular form, violence towards men’s genitals, and describes the varied messages and motives behind it: to destroy reproductive capacity, to impugn the masculinity of victims and groups, to intimidate and dominate populations, to take revenge, and so on. Sexual violence against men and boys in armed conflict is not a topic for the faint of heart.
