Helping Sexual and Gender Minority Male Survivors Heal from Sexual Trauma

Guest Post by Joan Cook, Ph.D. and Amy Ellis, Ph.D.

Trauma impacts nearly all of us. Really bad, horrible, life-threatening events can and do happen to people. But, some of us are in greater danger of getting a bigger dose of bad events. As trauma psychologists, we’d like to help the world heal from trauma, but, in this guest post, we’d like to take the opportunity to talk about a specific type of trauma in a particularly marginalized population.

One might argue that the national consciousness regarding sexual assault in women has never been higher. Most people probably wouldn’t find it hard to believe that one in four heterosexual women experiences sexual assault after four years in college.

Even though we’re trauma psychologists, we still find that number jaw-dropping. But hopefully, with the #MeToo movement, the general public is realizing now more than ever that this is a huge public health problem.

What many may still find surprising is that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals disproportionately experience sexual abuse and assault. In fact, gay and bisexual men report sexual assault at frequencies close to those reported by heterosexual women.

Trauma experiences among sexual and gender minority males

On top of higher rates of sexual victimization[PM1] , sexual and gender minority (SGM) males also experience significant minority stress, a term used to describe the sociopolitical stressors placed on individuals as a result of their minority status.

Sexual orientation mental health disparities start relatively early in childhood and pervade into adulthood. SGMs are often exposed to day-to-day discrimination, peer and parental rejection, unsupportive or hostile work or social environments, homelessness, and unequal access to opportunities afforded to heterosexuals, including marriage and adoption. This creates added burden for SGM individuals in navigating the world around them and increases their risk for further revictimization or traumatization in the form of hate crimes and other violence.

What can happen then is that SGM individuals can internalize these chronic expectations of rejection, feeling alienated and misunderstood. This lack of integration within one’s community or society at large can really get under the skin, leading to deep-seated struggles with self-acceptance.

Abuse and other trauma experiences coupled with the stress of being a minority may leave some SGM male survivors feeling deficient, inferior, damaged and no good. They may sadly view themselves as shameful, undesirable, underserving, or incapable of forming a loving relationship. No one should have to feel this way.

Although SGM male survivors can suffer significant psychological distress, they often don’t seek formal mental health treatment or take years to do so. Sometimes these men don’t disclose their experiences of sexual abuse or assault. They may even deny or minimize the abuse and its effects on their lives to themselves.

In previous research we conducted, male sexual abuse survivors explained their difficulties in seeking formal mental health services. They talked about distrust when coming into contact with perceived authority figures, such as health care providers. They spoke of difficulties finding knowledgeable and experienced health care providers who understood the nuances specific to male sexual abuse.

Consequently, they didn’t disclose their sexual trauma. Perceived stigma and concerns of being unfairly judged in regards to their sexual orientation and identity also kept them from reaching out for help.

The male survivors we spoke with also stressed the importance of peer support in their healing journey. They explained how they initially chose to participate in peer-based online communities or chat rooms to reduce their distress. This kind of informal help-seeking was also seen less stigmatizing, less shameful and far less costly than formal mental health services.

This is consistent with other studies. For example, recent research found that SGM youth are more likely than non-SGM youth to have online friends and view them as more helpful than in-person peers at providing emotional support.

An innovative new study to help survivors

Our team decided to take all this information and do something about it. In collaboration with MaleSurvivor and MenHealing, two non-profit organizations that provide resources to male abuse survivors and their loved ones, we are conducting an innovative new study to help reduce emotional distress in SGM male survivors.

Through our community partners, we found 20 men with lived experience of sexual abuse or assault, from across the United States and Canada, who were enthusiastic and willing to deliver online interventions for the study. These courageous men came to Yale University for a three-day in-person training. They came with open hearts, ready and willing to learn.

Since the in-person workshop, these men have completed dozens of hours of additional online trainings with our team of licensed clinical psychologists. And, equally important, these men have spent years working through the pain of their own individual healing.

SGM male survivors who are eligible for the study will be invited to participate in six 90-minute, weekly online groups led by the peer leaders. These incredible peer leaders will be using their own experiences to inspire and empower participants’ healing. They are committed to building hope-based relationships, ones built on what is possible. They want to help support and challenge other male survivors to move towards the life they want, and deserve, to be living.

Through participation in these online peer-led groups, we hope SGM male survivors will discover that they are not alone in their struggles. We hope that they will learn from peers facing similar problems, gaining multiple perspectives for their concerns. SGM male survivors will be given the opportunity to become more aware of themselves through genuine, safe, and courageous feedback from others.

It is our hope that they will pick up new skills that can be used in daily life and that having this brief online peer-delivered group experience will be a gateway toward further healing. This can help them recognize they are not alone, that healing from sexual trauma is possible and that they can decide to continue on their paths.

While we care about all trauma survivors, this study is focused on SGM males. Given their experiences of minority stress and sexual traumas, they have been marginalized and silenced for far too long. It’s time for them to come out from the shadows of shame and live happier, more fulfilling and meaningful lives.

Recovery from trauma occurs via many pathways and is often supported through healthy relationships with peers. Building a connection with men with lived experience should allow for mutual learning. In this study, we are hoping for win-win scenarios.

About the Authors

Joan Cook, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. She has over 100 peer-reviewed publications in the areas of traumatic stress, geriatric mental health and implementation science. Dr. Cook has worked clinically with a range of trauma survivors, including combat veterans, former prisoners of war, sexual assault survivors, and 9/11 survivors. She was a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) Guideline Development Panel for the Treatment of PTSD and was the 2016 President of APA’s Division of Trauma Psychology. She has published over 80 op-eds in places like CNN, TIME Ideas, The Washington Post and The Hill.

Amy E. Ellis, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and Assistant Director of the Trauma Resolution and Integration Program (TRIP) at Nova Southeastern University. She is also the Internet Editor for APA’s Division 29 (Psychotherapy) website and serves on the Editorial Board of three APA journals. Currently, she serves as the co-principal investigator on a large comparative effectiveness trial funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

Here’s a question: What challenges have you or a loved one faced in healing from trauma? Please leave a comment. Also, please subscribe to my blog and feel free to follow me on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram, “like” my Facebook page, or connect on LinkedIn. Finally, if you enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend.