About BC Society for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse
Sexual Abuse, for the most part, is greatly misunderstood. Generally, sexual abuse is believed to involve an overt act, an unwilling party, and to be carried out by a male against a female. Although all of this is often true, it is only a partial picture. In order to recognize the reality of sexual abuse and to address the trauma experienced by survivors as well as the impact on society, it is important to adhere to a broader definition of sexual abuse and a more global view of whom the offenders and survivors are.
Sexuality Abuse is a term which has come into more common use; it is essentially any behaviour which undermines the integrity of the individual's sexual identity or sexual safety. Sexuality abuse includes not only behaviours which are traditionally viewed as sexual abuse (i.e. criminal acts), but also covert sexual acts, not often recognized by the courts or by the general population. Some examples are: derogatory comments of a sexual nature; leering looks, age inappropriate exposure to sexual information or imagery, or the lack of appropriate information. Although these and other examples may not result in criminal charges, nor be intentional, they may nevertheless result in long-term disturbance for the victim.
Victims and Offenders are increasingly seen as including a broader range of individuals. While a larger percentage of survivors are female than are male, recent studies indicate that the numbers are not as different as previously assumed. Children of both genders are victims of sexual abuse, and sexual abuse of males of all ages is not a rare occurrence. In that regard, statistics may be misleading. If taken at face value, statements such as "...the majority of victims are female..." minimize the extent of victimization of males. So too, statements such as "...offenders are predominantly male..." may result in one overlooking the fact that females also offend. Statistics have their place, but what is most important is the fact that innocent people are being abused, traumatized, and are in need of healing.
Misconceptions about what it means to be a man often stand in the way of sexuality abuse of males being recognize, acknowledged and treated. One such misconception is that males are always in control of their sexual experiences; this is most obviously not true for young boys, but may also not be true for an adult male. Men can and have been the victims of rape. Another misconception is that men do not experience the same degree of emotional pain associated with sexual abuse as do women, and that if a man experiences emotional pain, he should be able to handle it alone. Alcohol and drug abuse, family violence, sexual offending, suicide, and social dysfunction are a few of possible results of sexuality abuse of males when it is not acknowledged and treated.
BCSMSSA was established as a non-profit society to address these issues. We offer a range of services to meet the needs of male survivors and their significant others.
** Mission & Purpose **
The British Columbia Society for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse is a non-profit society, established to provide therapeutic services for males who have been sexually abused at some time in their lives. As specifically outlined in our constitution, our purposes are to
* Provide treatment and support services to male survivors of sexual abuse and
support for significant relatives and others of the survivors.
* Acquire and develop educational material concerning sexual abuse of males
and to gather statistics for dissemination to professionals and the
community at large.
* Assist in establishing within British Columbia new agencies dealing with
male survivors of sexual abuse by providing training opportunities, whenever
possible, to interested personnel.
* Ensure clear, consistent communication in dealing with other involved
agencies or professionals in order to guarantee comprehensive case
management.
* Consult with community and government groups in the areas of prevention,
treatment, therapy, and other matters relating to sexual abuse of males.
