In 2020, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) published an infographic on the demographics of U.S. men who had experienced sexual harassment and sexual assault. Research cited in the infographic showed that men from marginalized groups, such as gay and bisexual men, transgender men, men with disabilities, and multiracial men, reported elevated rates of sexual victimization. Since 2020, both nationally representative studies and state studies continue to show that sizeable percentages of men, especially marginalized populations of men, have endured sexual violence.
Findings from the most recent edition of the ongoing National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) illustrate that these trends continue. Drawing from a nationally representative sample of 15,152 women and 12,419 men residing in the U.S., 2016/2017 NISVS found high rates of sexual victimization of both women and men across racial and ethnic categories. Nearly one-third (30.7%) of male respondents indicated they had experienced contact sexual violence at some point in their lives (Basile et al., 2022).
Lifetime rape victimization rates were highest for multiracial men (48%) and American Indian or Alaska Native men (43.7%), followed by Black men (29%) and white men (28.1%). Similarly, American Indian, Alaska Native, and multiracial men reported higher rates of sexual coercion, unwanted sexual contact, and sexual harassment in a public place than men of other racial and ethnic groups (Basile et al., 2022). 2016/2017 NISVS delved deeper into male rape victimization by race/ethnicity than the 2010 NISVS data cited in the NSVRC infographic. Unfortunately, the 2010 NISVS provided no percentages on lifetime rape prevalence among males by race/ethnicity except for white respondents. Moreover, while both the 2016/2017 NISVS and 2010 NISVS found elevated rates of non-rape sexual victimization among multiracial men, the 2016/2017 NISVS also found elevated rates of unwanted sexual contact among American Indian and Alaska Native men (Basile, et al., 2022; Black, et al., 2011).
2016/2017 NISVS data also showed that gay and bisexual men reported significantly higher rates of contact sexual violence than heterosexual men. Over half (59.8%) of gay men and 56.4% of bisexual men indicated that they had experienced contact sexual violence at some point in their lives, compared to 29.3% of heterosexual men. Lifetime sexual harassment in a public setting was also more prevalent among gay men (42.9%) and bisexual men (58.1%) than heterosexual men (29%) (Chen et al., 2023). These statistics reinforce findings from the 2010 NISVS, which found higher rates of unwanted sexual contact and unwanted non-contact sexual experiences among gay and bisexual men than among heterosexual men (Walters et al., 2013).
At least two new state-specific studies of sexual violence also found that socially and economically vulnerable men were more likely to have recent and lifetime histories of sexual victimization. These findings are consistent with the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data analysis and the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey report cited in the NSVRC infographic. (Mitra, et al., 2016; James, et al., 2016).
First, the Louisiana Violence Experiences Survey (LaVEX), drawing data from 1,081 adults residing in Louisiana, found that sexual victimization was common among women and men. Approximately one-third (30%) of male respondents indicated that they had experienced sexual harassment or forced sex at some point in their lives, with 13% of men reporting transphobic or homophobic sexual harassment. Respondents with disabilities, a history of homelessness, a history of incarceration, or who identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual were more likely to report past-year sexual victimization (Raj et al., 2023b).
Second, the California Violence Experiences (CalVEX) Survey, using a sample of 3,560 adult California residents, unearthed similar patterns of sexual violence risk among marginalized populations of men. One quarter (28%) of male respondents reported lifetime sexual harassment or forced sex, and 6% reported past-year sexual victimization. Similar to the LaVEX survey, CalVEX's results found that Latinx Californians, Californians with disabilities, Californians with a history of homelessness or incarceration, and Californians who identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual were more likely to indicate that they had experienced past-year sexual harassment or forced sex (Raj et al., 2023a).
The persistence of these trends serves as a reminder that men make up a substantial portion of those with sexual trauma. Professionals can best serve this population by tailoring sexual assault services and outreach to men of diverse backgrounds, accounting for the needs of men in socially and economically vulnerable situations.
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
Black, M. C., Basile, K. C., Breiding, M. J., Smith, S. G., Walters, M. L., Merrick, M. T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M. R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 summary report. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/NISVS_Report2010-a.pdf
Chen, J., Khatiwada, S., Chen, M. S., Smith, S. G., Leemis, R. W., Friar, N. W., Basile, K. C., & Kresnow, M. (2023). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2016/2017 report on victimization by sexual identity. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/nisvs/nisvsReportonSexualIdentity.pdf
James, S. E., Herman, J. L., Rankin, J. L., Keisling, M., Mottet, L., & Anafi, M. (2016). The report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. National Center for Transgender Equality. https://transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/usts/USTS-Full-Report-Dec17.pdf
Mitra, M., Mouradian, V. E., Fox, M. H., & Pratt, C. (2016). Prevalence and characteristics of sexual violence against men with disabilities. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 50(3), 311-317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2015.07.030
Raj, A., Johns, N., Yore, J., Closson, K., Kully, G., & Thomas, J. (2023). The 2023 California Violence Experiences Survey (CalVEX). University of California San Diego, Center on Gender Equity and Health, and Tulane University, Newcomb Institute. https://geh.ucsd.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2023_calvex_report_03.04.24-compressed.pdf
Raj, A., Johns, N.E., Closson, K., Mahoney, A., Yore, J., Kully, G., LaVeist, T., & Theall, K. (2023). The Louisiana Violence Experiences Survey (LaVEX) 2023. The Newcomb Institute at Tulane University, and the Center on Gender Equity and Health at University of California San Diego. https://newcomb.tulane.edu/LaVEX
Walters, M.L., ChenJ., & Breiding, M.J. (2013). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 findings on victimization by sexual orientation. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/12362