Sexual abuse of boys. Examples of a group-oriented treatment

Although the sexual abuse of boys is much less written and talked about than the sexual abuse of girls, it is thought that one of three victims of abuse is a boy. This article sums up the symptoms and reactions seen in male victims. Whereas women usually react with depression and guilt, men react more with anger. Psychosomatic symptoms are often seen, as well as sexual problems such as homophobia or exaggerated masculinisation. As many as 30-50% of male rapist and child molesters have been molested as children. This makes it important to establish a therapeutic dialogue with these men about what they have been through, so as to avoid the development of such behaviour if possible. Experience from the treatment of male adults who were sexually abused in childhood is described, and placed in relation to the existing literature on the subject.