INTRODUCTION
Anyone, regardless of age, sexual orientation, or gender identity, can be sexually assaulted. Males and boys who have been sexually attacked or abused may experience many of the same emotions and behaviours as other sexual assault survivors, but they may also encounter extra problems as a result of society’s views and preconceptions about men and masculinity.
Men and boys who have been sexually attacked may endure the same repercussions as other survivors of sexual assault, but they may also encounter problems that are specific to their situation.
Some adult male survivors of sexual assault feel guilt or self-doubt, feeling they should have been “strong enough” to fend off the perpetrator. Many guys who had an erection or ejaculation during the attack may be perplexed and unsure of what to make of it. These physiological responses do not suggest that you desired, invited, or liked the assault in any manner. Know that it was not your fault and that you are not alone if something bad occurred to you. Guys who were sexually attacked as children or teenagers may have different reactions than men who were sexually raped as adults.
MYTH REGARDING MALE VICTIMS OF RAPE
- MALEIS NOT VULNERABLE
Guys, even younger males, are believed to be incapable of being raped or susceptible as a result of masculine gender indoctrination. Because the masculine stereotype shows guys as capable of self-defense, crying by a male kid is considered humiliating and unmanly in some communities. Young boys may be weaker and more vulnerable to offenders, who are generally larger and more powerful. To abuse the kid, the criminals can use everything they have, including money or other incentives. An adult male may also feel powerless or afraid to fight back because of the risk of being jailed for assault and/or battery as a result of social double standards surrounding the use of force in self-defense across genders, which can include female offenders in some circumstances (this double standard is similar to the concern of male self-defence against non-sexual assault by a female).
- MALES ONLY WANTS SEX
A widespread social perception is that if a man has an erection or has an orgasm, he must be stimulated, implying that he is open to and enjoying any sexual activity. In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine, Roy J. Levin and Willy Van Berlo found that little genital stimulation or tension can cause erections “even when no particular sexual stimulation is present.” An erection does not imply that the guys are willing to engage in sexual activity. Even in traumatic or unpleasant sexual circumstances, males can obtain erections, and this does not imply consent.
- TRAUMATIZATION
One theory holds that males are less traumatised by abuse than females, as well as the assumption that males are less negatively affected. Long-term repercussions have been shown in studies to be harmful to both sexes, with males being particularly harmed by societal shame and denial of their victimisation. Male victims experience more severe rage than female victims, according to Eogan and Richardson, but both experience equal levels of distress following the rape. Frazier (1993) looked at 74 men and 1,380 women who had been raped. She discovered that male victims experience more despair and animosity after being raped than female ones.
- SEXUAL ORIENTATION
Rape of men, like the rape of females, has more to do with power than sexuality, according to Henry Leak, head of the Survivors group. The rape of males does not just occur within the homosexual community. The majority of male perpetrators who seek out boys are not gay, which is a complicated situation. Male sexual assault victims may fear being perceived as gay or weak or feel that their assault was motivated by their effeminate or homosexual look in order to attract other guys. Premature sexual encounters, according to experts, do not have a substantial influence on subsequent sexual orientation.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF MEN AT DIFFERENT WHEREABOUTS
Sexual assault may happen to any soul, no matter what your age is, your sexual attitude, or your gender identity. We generally see and witness harassment or rape instances connected to females alone and this is the reason that legislations are established only for woman victims. However, this does not mean that males are immune to sexual harassment or rape. Exasperation affects one out of every 10 men nowadays. Men and boys who have been sexually harassed may experience many of the same emotions as other survivors of sexual assault, but they face many more obstacles as a result of “social mockery” and “stereotypes” about masculinity.
While female sexual harassment has steadily decreased in recent years, India’s government has enacted some extremely effective regulations. However, male sexual harassment is on the rise at an alarming rate. Today, the major area where guys are confronted with this evil is at work. Male co-workers or female supervisors are the most common perpetrators of workplace harassment. This is one of the darkest conflicts of all time. Female employers have been known to ask male co-workers to raise their shirts and flaunt their muscles in front of co-workers, as well as yell at and humiliate them. These types of actions encourage male co-workers to engage in sexual harassment and assault.
Roberta Chinsky Matuson claims that “Many individuals wrongly assume that harassment just affects women,” Physical force, psychological force, and a variety of other emotional coercion methods are also used by offenders against victims. Males are occasionally subjected to mental torment at work for the sake of their jobs. If a man needs a job and doesn’t have any other options, he must accept sexual approaches from females or male coworkers, even if he doesn’t want to. However, these kinds of heinous acts not only physically harm the victim, but also damage his spirit.
Rape, which can be either female-on-male or male-on-male, is also a kind of sexual harassment at work. The rape of men by other men has been documented as a terror weapon in wartime. Male rape is also frequent in jails, schools, coaching centres, and occasionally at home, in addition to offices and businesses. However, because there is no regulation or statute in place, these rape crimes go undetected. Justice Krishna Iyer said “A murderer destroys the body, but a rapist kills the soul,
WHO WILL PROTECT MEN FROM SEXUAL HARASSMENT?
Who will safeguard guys from sexual harassment? That is the first question that must be addressed. Only sexual harassment and rape of women are addressed in Indian legislation. Males are not protected by any law or statute from the savage act of harassment and rape. There is just one section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that deals with the crime of “sodomy.” All other laws and provisions, except for this one, are aimed only at women.
We might claim that access to justice is skewed. When we think about India, we think of how much emphasis is placed on people’s rights, so why is the “Right to Equality” being violated? Equal rights and treatment of men and women are discussed in our Indian judiciary, culture, and legislation. However, these loopholes plus the failure to pass any legislation against sexual harassment, sexual assault, or rape demonstrate a clear breach of the “Right to Equality.”
Because male workplace suicides are four times higher than female workplace suicides, sexual harassment of males necessitates a higher level of commitment than any other crime or concern. Gender neutral laws have been adopted in 77 nations across the world, including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Australia, the United States, and many others. However, the Indian Parliament has consistently rejected attempts to make legislation against sexual harassment in India gender neutral. The problem of male sexual harassment is becoming increasingly prevalent in jails. G Pramod Kumar claims that
“When a young boy enters, the inmates have been known to have offered a price for the kid,” the People’s Union of Civil Liberties said in 1981 about Tihar. The price is expressed in ‘bidis,’ soap, or charas. Often, inmates were separated into camps, and the groups battled over who would get the new entrant.”
CONCLUSION
Many males may not recognise or define their experiences as rape or sexual assault, and some do not consider themselves victims or survivors while others do. Some males may characterise their encounters as “abusive” or “unwanted.” These are the phrases that guys use to describe them. It’s possible that your experiences will vary over time. We utilise the words used by the researchers in this document used to describe unwelcome sexual encounters Sexual harassment, abuse, and assault rates Because of the criteria employed to quantify sexual assault, there may be differences between research. Victimization, as well as the population, were investigated.
The ‘Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill, 2012′ should be enacted as soon as feasible. In addition, some particular parts of the Indian Penal Code should be included to protect guys against harassment. We only have one provision in the Indian Penal Code that deals with sodomy. In addition, it is important to modify the mentality of Indian society members who feel that a guy is not designed to weep and that only a woman tears. This is a completely false assumption because everyone with a heart and a soul also has dignity, feelings, self-confidence, and respect for themselves.
Author’s Name: Aksha Ali (Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi)
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