Accepted for/Published in: JMIRx Med
Date Submitted: Aug 20, 2020
Date Accepted: Oct 2, 2021
Date Submitted to PubMed: Sep 19, 2023
A comparison between male and female victims of sexual abuse and assault in relations to age at admission to therapy, age of onset, and age at last sexual assault
ABSTRACT
Background:
Sexual abuse and sexual assault are complex phenomena that involve many factors (or correlates) and have many health and financial implications for individuals, families, and society. Every correlate needs to be studied in detail, individually and in relation to other correlates. Only with a thorough understanding of these correlates, a more efficient and targeted prevention and intervention programs can be designed.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to examine the differences between male and female victims of sexual abuse and sexual assault on the correlates of the age of onset, the age at the last assault, and the age at which they entered therapy.
Methods:
Therapists at eight sexual assault centers around the province of Alberta, Canada, completed a questionnaire on each of their clients over a period of seven years. A total of 3302 participants, of which 2901 (87.86%) were female, and 401 (12.14%) were male victims of sexual abuse and assault, were included in this study. Mostly descriptive analyses were carried out on the four variables of concern in this study.
Results:
When it comes to seeking therapy, female victims outnumber male victims by a ratio of 7:1 with different ratios for different age groups. As children get older, the risk of being sexually assaulted for the first time gets smaller. Male children are more likely to be sexually abused at a younger age, whereas female children are more vulnerable to being assaulted at all ages, particularly in adolescence. The age of onset of sexual abuse was found to be 6.71 (SD 2.86) years, and the odds of experiencing the first sexual assault during childhood, as opposed to adolescence, were 4:1 for females and 9:1 for males. Male victims were two times more likely than females to experience their first sexual assault in childhood. The vast majority of victims seek help many years after being sexually assaulted, and males wait an average of three years longer from the last sexual assault before seeking therapy.
Conclusions:
The majority of victims live with the consequences of sexual abuse and sexual assault for many years before they seek help, and a large proportion of male victims are not likely to seek help.
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