Men who report being sexually assaulted by women were pressured by guilt or threat of breakup. Some described being too drunk or incapacitated to be able to control the situation. Others report being threatened with physical violence, blackmail, or demotion.
Sexual assault against men by women is much less common than sexual assault against women. There are more than 9,000 cases of sexual assault by women against men reported each year, but sexual assault against men is often unreported. Men encounter disbelief when reporting a woman as a rapist. They may fear public and private humiliation. They may feel that they have failed to be masculine enough to defend themselves. Some fear they will be perceived as effeminate or homosexual.
The emotional effects of sexual assault for men are anger, fear, shame, guilt, and disruptions in sexual, social, and family relationships, as well as in sleeping and eating. Professional counseling can help relieve these effects. Rape-crisis centers assist men as well as women.
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