Help-Seeking Among Men Who’ve Experienced Sexual Violence (1 CE)

Number of Credits: 1

This course is for:  Clinical Psychologists, Counselors, and LMFTs

Course By: Michael Parent, PhD

Content By: Donne, M. D., DeLuca, J., Pleskach, P., Bromson, C., Mosley, M. P., Perez, E. T. … & Frye, V. (2018). Barriers to and facilitators of help-seeking among men who experience sexual violence. American Journal of Men’s Health, 12, 189-201. doi: 10.1177/1557988317740665

Course Description: About 1.4% of men have experienced attempted or completed sexual assault. Most perpetrators of sexual assault against men are also men. However, little research has explored men’s attempts to seek help for sexual assault. A qualitative study was completed using data from 32 men who experienced sexual assault. Emergent themes were identified as defining experiences as sexual violence victimization, barriers to disclosure and accessing sexual violence support services, experiences with support services, and intersectionality and help-seeking. Participants noted barriers to help-seeking including gender/masculinity norms; psychological impacts of trauma; cost, insurance, and scheduling issues; and trust and fit. Most participants who received counseling initially attended counseling for another issue and disclosed their sexual trauma history after building trust with a professional. The authors suggest that reduced-cost services and reduction in self-blame may help men to seek counseling for experiences of sexual violence. Future research may explore the experiences of men outside of urban settings.

Learning Objectives:

• Determine national statistics on men’s experiences of sexual violence
• Identify four barriers to help-seeking for sexual violence
• Explain ways to increase men’s engagement in help-seeking for experiences of sexual violence

Course Outline:

1. Read and understand Barriers to and facilitators of help-seeking among men who experience sexual violence.
2. Review the Course Description and Learning Objectives.
3. Review the four themes of barriers to help-seeking in the study.
4. Complete the post-test questions. Recall that answers should be based on the referenced article.
5. Return to the referenced article for any missed questions and/or to understand barriers and facilitators of help-seeking for men who have experienced sexual violence.