Case study on the disclosure of male sexual violence

Abstract

The disclosure of sexual violence (SV) has been described as an important process culminating with the victim’s report about the violence suffered. Most studies about this issue are focused on female victims, which makes it difficult to generalize their results to male victims. Therefore, the objective of this study is to understand the process of disclosure of SV suffered by a boy on the basis of the report by his mother, through a case study. A semi-structured interview was conducted with the child’s mother, who talked about the discovery of this case of SV, her feelings and reactions as a mother and the repercussions for the family and victim. The analysis of the interview was organized around three axes: (i) disclosure of SV as a process; (ii) maternal reactions to the discovery; and (iii) repercussions of the SV. The discovery of the SV resulted from conversations between mother and son that gradually revealed the situation. The revelation’s impact on the mother caused guilt feelings and concerns with her son’s sexuality. Therefore, the article highlights the importance of the network of familial and institutional support as well as of the services and qualified professionals to act in family crises. Moreover, it emphasizes the importance of studies on the issue of sexual violence against boys emphasized.

Keywords: child sexual abuse, male, disclosure.