As the body of research on male sexual victimization grows, the anti-sexual violence field becomes more aware of the widespread prevalence of sexual violence against men and boys. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) captured a snapshot of this prevalence in its 2020 infographic, "How Often Are Men Sexually Harassed or Assaulted?" This infographic drew heavily from 2010 and 2015 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) data, as well as from a 2018 Stop Street Harassment national study on sexual victimization. Four years later, a newly released follow-up report to Stop Street Harassment's national study, as well as fresh NISVS data, showed us that male sexual victimization remains a prevalent problem.
#MeToo2024
Newcomb Institute at Tulane University, with input from Stop Street Harassment, ValorUS, and RALIANCE, conducted a multi-state survey of sexual violence experiences among 3,383 U.S. adults in 2024. According to results in #MeToo 2024, sexual harassment and sexual assault were common among sampled men, with 42% of male respondents indicating that they experienced one or both during their lifetimes (Raj et al., 2024). This closely aligns with the findings of Stop Street Harassment's 2018 study noted in the infographic, in which 43% of male respondents reported experiencing lifetime sexual harassment or sexual assault (Stop Street Harassment, 2018).
The #MeToo 2024 survey explored a variety of lifetime sexual harassment experiences among men. Men reported experiencing (Raj et al., 2024):
- 29% experienced verbal sexual harassment
- 15% experienced cyber sexual harassment
- 21% experienced physically aggressive sexual harassment
- 24% experienced dating coercion and sexual threats
These rates are similar to those of the 2018 study for various types of sexual harassment (Stop Street Harassment, 2018).
Nearly one-fifth (18%) of male respondents in the #MeToo 2024 survey first experienced sexual harassment or sexual assault before age 18 (Raj et al., 2024). These results are in sharp contrast to those cited in the infographic from the 2018 survey, in which 42% of male respondents experienced sexual harassment or sexual assault before the age of 18 (Stop Street Harassment, 2018). The reasons for this stark difference are unclear, as both studies drew from large multi-state samples, with similar age and racial demographics for male participants (NORC at the University of Chicago, 2024).
Among the 8% of men who reported experiencing sexual assault in the #MeToo 2024 study, the most frequently identified perpetrators were strangers and unrelated persons known well by the victim, such as friends or neighbors. Among male victims of sexual harassment, the most common harassers were strangers, unrelated persons they did not know well, and unrelated persons they knew well (Raj et al., 2024). The 2018 survey revealed a similar prevalence of strangers and acquaintances as perpetrators against men (Stop Street Harassment, 2018).
2016/2017 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (2022)
Sexual violence data from the 2016/2017 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), released in 2022, shows a similarly high prevalence of sexual victimization among men. Just as the #MeToo 2024 survey explores a wide range of sexual harassment situations, the 2016/2017 NISVS explores a wide range of contact sexual assault situations encountered by male victims. Using a nationally representative sample of 27,571 adults residing in the U.S., 2016/2017, NISVS found that approximately one-third (30.7%) of sampled men indicated that they had experienced contact sexual violence, including (Basile et al., 2022):
- attempted or completed rape (3.8%),
- being forced to penetrate someone (10.7%),
- sexual coercion (10.9%), and
- unwanted sexual contact (23.3%) .
These 2016/2017 findings on contact sexual violence are similar to the data from the 2015 NISVS data brief and NSVRC infographic (Smith et al., 2015).
Among male rape victims in the 2016/2017 NISVS sample, over half experienced their first attempted or completed rape as minors. Over 40% of male victims of other types of sexual violence (such as unwanted sexual contact or being forced to penetrate someone), reported their first victimization at age 17 or younger (Basile et al., 2022). These findings are mostly consistent with 2015 NISVS data, with the exception of forced penetration before age 18, which was reported by only 25.9% of male victims of that sexual violence subtype. The reasons for this divergence are unclear (Smith et al., 2015).
However, 2016/2017 NISVS data shows more variance in perpetrators against male victims, with family members and intimate partners identified more often as assailants than in #MeToo 2024. While acquaintances were among the most commonly named perpetrators for all types of lifetime contact sexual violence, current or former intimate partners were the second most commonly identified perpetrators of sexual coercion and forcing male victims to penetrate. These findings suggest that intimate partner sexual assault remains a significant form of sexual victimization experienced by men, warranting both study and services (Basile et al., 2022).
Additionally, the 2016/2017 NISVS explores the gender of male victims’ perpetrators, illustrating how perpetrator gender varies across violence types. While males made up three-quarters of lifetime rape perpetrators against male victims, females made up more than two-thirds of the perpetrators of other forms of contact sexual violence against male victims (Basile et al., 2022).
As more research sheds light on the prevalence, types, and dynamics of male sexual victimization, anti-sexual violence professionals can draw on this data to inform prevention efforts and victim services. A solid foundation of research can help professionals recognize the many ways that men and boys can be victimized, allowing for a better tailored response.
References
Basile, K. C., Smith, S. G., Kresnow, M., Khatiwada, S., & Leemis, R. W. (2022). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2016/2017 report on sexual violence. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/nisvsReportonSexualViolence.pdf
NORC at the University of Chicago. (2024). #MeToo harassment study 2024, University of California San Diego & Tulane University of Louisiana: AmeriSpeak project methods and transparency report. Tulane University. https://newcomb.tulane.edu/content/metoo-research
Raj, A., Rao, N., Patel, P., & Kearl, H. (2024). #MeToo 2024: A national study of sexual harassment and assault in the United States. Tulane University, Newcomb Institute. https://newcomb.tulane.edu/content/metoo-research
Smith, S. G., Zhang, X., Basile, K. C., Merrick, M. T., Wang, J., Kresnow, M., & Chen, J. (2018). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2015 data brief – updated release. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/2015data-brief508.pdf
Stop Street Harassment. (2018). The facts behind the #metoo movement: A national study on sexual harassment and assault. Stop Street Harassment. http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Full-Report-2018-National-Study-on-Sexual-Harassment-and-Assault.pdf