Am J Psychiatry 1980; 137:221-223
Copyright © 1980 by American Psychiatric Association
Male rape victims: noninstitutionalized assault
A Kaufman, P Divasto, R Jackson, D Voorhees and J Christy
Fourteen male rape victims treated in a county hospital emergency room over
a 30-month period are compared with 100 randomly selected female victims
treated over the same period. The male victims as a group sustained more
physical trauma, were more likely to have been a victim of multiple
assaults from multiple assailants, and were more likely to have been held
captive longer. They were more reluctant to reveal initially the genital
component of their assault and were more likely to use denial and control
their emotions in reaction to the assault. Proper diagnosis and treatment
of male rape victims requires a high index of suspicion and sensititivty to
the likelihood of major, hidden trauma.
