ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the long-term effects of sexual abuse during childhood on men. Men with histories of sexual abuse remain stigmatized, marginalized, and under-researched. This is highly problematic because results from well-designed empirical studies inform prevention programs, clinical treatment protocols, and policy decisions. Rather than merely filling scholarly journals, research can ideally be translated into efforts to alleviate suffering and enhance the well-being of men who endured Child sexual abuse (CSA). The chapter highlights contemporary research from 2000 to present with men who were sexually abused in childhood by reviewing one program of research on the long-term effects of CSA. The chapter discusses the rationale and methods of a recent large-scale study on male survivors of CSA. It describes the existing research in three critical topic areas: predictors of mental distress, disclosure barriers, and factors that influence post-traumatic growth.
