Trajectories and Tropes of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Narratives of male victims

• In Event: Narratives of Sexual Violence Against Children and Organizational Responses

Abstract

This paper is an exploration of the phenomenon of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) using narrative data of men self-identifying as victims of CSA. Preliminary data are derived from written public stories found on the Internet. The primary research question is “how do adult males identifying as victims of CSA construct narratives of victimization?” In particular, this study will compare narratives of men by perpetrator gender. Understanding how atypical victims (male) of childhood sexual abuse make sense of the trajectory of their victim and/or survivor identity, may contribute to a model of therapeutic treatments allowing for more integrated healing for victims. This study is meant as a pilot study to develop a framework for interviewing abuse victims who are not publicly disclosing their stories of abuse.

Author

• Brenda K. Vollman, CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College