"We Heal Together": Characteristics of the Male Healing Journey from Childhood Sexual Abuse

Background/Purpose: Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) remains a serious social problem and a highly stigmatized topic in the United States. Although girls are sexually abused at higher rates than boys, sexual violence among boys still occurs at significant rates. Male survivors are known to delay disclosure significantly longer than female survivors and have higher rates of misusing substances as a mean to self-medicate the adverse effects of their sexual trauma. Some research has explored the elements of the male healing journey, showing that men experience unique sociocultural influences in the healing process related to male gender norms. However, the male healing journey among survivors who are in substance use disorder (SUD) recovery is not well understood. To fill this important gap, this study explored the characteristics of the male healing journey from CSA among adult survivors who are in long-term SUD recovery.

Methods: Data for this study came from 25 in-depth semi-structured interviews with English-speaking adult male survivors of CSA who had been in SUD recovery for a minimum of one year. Purposive and snowball sampling was used to recruit a diverse sample (72% White, 20% Black, 8% Other) of adult cisgender men (mean age 45.24 years). In-depth interviews were conducted with these men via video or audio call in the Fall of 2023 to explore male survivors’ lived experiences of healing from CSA. Data were analyzed in accordance with grounded theory procedures, using three rounds of coding. Member checking, negative case analysis, and peer review were used to enhance rigor.

Results: The data from the interviews portrayed that the male healing journey is an individualized and gender-specific process that is highly subjected to cultural misbeliefs surrounding masculinity and male sexual trauma. Four distinct themes emerged from the data. First, the male healing journey entails accepting the past and letting go of the abuse. Second, male healing means stopping self-blame and forgiving oneself, the abuser, and others involved. Third, healing includes critically re-examining gender norms surrounding masculinity and fighting misbeliefs surrounding male sexual trauma. Lastly, men heal when they build a community of healing by sharing their story and by using their experiences to lift up other survivors.

Conclusion: The findings reveal the unique characteristics of the male healing journey from CSA among survivors in SUD recovery, highlighting the importance of community and showing that men heal when they come together and help each other carry the weight of having survived sexual trauma. The findings from the study have crucial implications for social workers who should advocate and support this marginalized population. On a micro level, social workers should create spaces for survivors that allow community and facilitate male healing, e.g., by creating mutual-help survivor groups. On a macro level, social workers should continue to raise awareness about the issue of sexual trauma among boys and men, further destigmatizing the issue by promoting public debate and further advocating for healthier conceptualization of masculinity.