Debbie Parkes recently reported on a study that indicates that men hide past victimization more than woman:
Nearly one in 10 male respondents reported having been sexually abused in childhood. Of those, about 34 per cent said they had never told anyone prior to being interviewed for the survey.
By comparison, between 20 per cent and 25 per cent of female respondents said they had been sexually abused as a child. Of those, nearly 16 per cent said they had never told anyone other than the surveyor.
In about 60 per cent of cases, the victimization began when the child was under age 12.
I cannot say I find these statistics surprising. Whether as a result of nature or nurture, the males of our society try to live with a version of masculinity that values strength, independence, and the ability to take care of oneself. Even as children, boys try to display toughness, and tend to hold in their feelings, fears, and problems more than girls.
This extends into adulthood as much as childhood. Domestic violence affects men at great numbers, but society underrates the problem.
What do you think?
