These summaries were written by SVPEP staff and are based on original papers published within the last 3 years. The information available on this web site is provided as a public service and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the Arizona Department of Health Services, or the University of Arizona. To conduct an individual search or locate older articles use the Search Summary Database which includes over 600 articles related to sexual violence.

Beck, A. J., & Hughes, T. A. (2005). Sexual violence reported by correctional authorities, 2004. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice. NCJ 210333. Available online at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/svrca04.htm

Summary: Given the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003, this study provides a review of the 2004 administrative survey of sexual violence in adult and juvenile corrections (public and private prisons, jails, juvenile facilities, and others). Sexual violence was measured as nonconsensual sexual acts, abusive sexual contacts, staff sexual misconduct, and staff sexual harassment. Results of the review revealed that 5,528 allegations of sexual violence were recorded in 2004, with prison systems reporting 42% of those allegations. Specifically, staff sexual misconduct yielded the highest rate (with 1.31 allegations/1,000 inmates) and inmate-on-inmate nonconsensual acts yielded the second highest rate (1.16 allegations/1,000 inmates). Additional rates are reviewed concerning substantiated incidents, victim and perpetrator demographics, and administrative responses to sexual violence within corrections.

Topics: male rape; prevalence; prison rape; underserved populations

Chapleau, K.M., Oswald, D.L., & Russell, B.L. (2008).  Male rape myths: The role of gender, violence, and sexism.  Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 23, 600-615. [Posted June 2008].
 
Key Points:  The study examines gender differences in rape myths and the ideologies that support male rape myths.

Summary:  The goals of this study were to examine male rape myths and to look at variables that may be associated with three male rape myths; denial, blame, and trauma.  The specific variables under investigation were; acceptance of interpersonal violence, sex beliefs and ambivalent sexism towards men.  The study sample consisted of 423 college students from a medium sized, private Catholic university and a small Eastern public college.  Using the Male Rape Myth Scale, the results found that men were more supportive of rape myths in general than women.  Both men’s and women’s acceptance of rape myths did not significantly differ based on the gender of the victim.  Ideologies that support rape of women were also associated with rape myths about men. 
Limitations:  The sample size was small, primarily female (65%), and Caucasian (85%). 

Topics: male rape, myths/stereotypes

Hensley, C., Koscheski, M., & Tewksbury, R. (2005). Examining the characteristics of male sexual assault targets in a southern maximum-security prison. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20, 667-679.

Summary: The topic of prison sexuality, in particular male inmate sexual assault, has not received enough attention. In this paper, the authors present an overview of the literature concerning sexual victimization among inmates whereby the purpose of this study is to elucidate demographic and behavioral characteristics of targets of sexual assault within correctional facilities. The sample included 142 inmates from within a maximum-security correctional facility for men. Inmates were given a questionnaire that included items addressing consensual inmate sex and sexual coercion/assault. Results demonstrated that, while incarcerated, 18.3% of the sample had been sexual targets and 8.5% had been sexually assaulted. Additional findings are presented along with a discussion of the significance of sexual orientation as a risk factor for sexual victimization during incarceration.

Topics: male rape; prevalence; prison rape; risk

Walker, J., Archer, J., & Davies, M. (2005). Effects of rape on men: A descriptive analysis. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 34, 69-80. [Posted December 2006]

Key Points: Male victims of rape tend to react in an emotionally “controlled” way (calm, composed or subdued) immediately after the event. Long-term effects of sexual assault on men include depression, anger, anxiety, and emotional distancing from others.

Summary: To describe the experiences of male rape victims who were not in a clinical setting, men who had been anally raped were recruited to participate in a mail-in survey. Forty men provided details of the assault, their immediate reactions, and the long-term effects. Seventy percent of the men were between the ages of 16-25 when the incident occurred. Only 10% of the rapes were committed by strangers. Most men (87%) felt frozen fear, helplessness, or submission during the attack, although some (27%) were able to fight back at least somewhat. The majority of men reported that feeling helpless and out of control was worse than the sexual aspects of the assault. Almost all of the men reported long-term depression as a consequence of the assault, and most experienced long-term confusion about their sexual identity. Recommendations included providing male victims the same support services offered to women, and more community education and outreach to increase awareness of the prevalence and impact of male rape.

Topics: effects; male rape; survivors

Wolff, N., Blitz, C., Shi, J., Bachman, R., Siegel, J. (2006). Sexual violence inside prisons: Rates of victimization. Journal of Urban Health, 83, 835-848. [Posted October 2006]

Key Points: Sexual victimization in prisons (including sexual contact and nonconsensual sex acts) occurs most frequently between female inmates.

Summary: To estimate the prevalence of sexual violence in a prison system, male (n=6,964) and female inmates (n=564) in twelve prisons in a small eastern state completed a computer-assisted survey. Inmates were asked about incidents involving abusive sexual contact and non-consensual sex acts by other inmates or by prison staff within the last 6 months. Females reported inmate-on-inmate sexual violence at 212 incidents per 1000 inmates while males reported only 43 incidents per 1000 inmates. Rates of non-consensual sex (inmate on inmate) were 32 per 1000 for women and 15 per for men. Staff-on-inmate sexual victimization rates were the same for men and women (76 per 1000), with men reporting 19 per 1000 incidents of non-consensual sex vs. 17 per 1000 for women. This study had a good response rate (average 39%) from all inmates housed in general population. Because rates of sexual violence varied by the site, future studies should look at factors that can minimize risks. Inmate experiences of trauma and disease from forced sex should be addressed to prevent them from contributing to the ill health of their community when they are released. 

Topics: male rape; prevalence; prison rape; underserved populations

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Updated 09/19/08