Data series
Data series
What research tells us
Here is a series of data from relevant research on various issues experienced by men victims of sexual violence. This information provides a better understanding of the realities faced by men victims of sexual violence. In addition, we would like to highlight the greater prevalence of sexual violence among GBTQ2S+, First Nations and Inuit groups, people in schools, people with disabilities and incarcerated people. These statistics play an essential role in our approach to raising awareness, informing and taking action to improve prevention, support and justice for all men.
Prevalence of childhood sexual abuse
Prevalence of sexual violence in adulthood
Prevalence of men with disabilities
Prevalence of childhood sexual abuse
Between 1 in 5 men and 1 in 10 men reported having been the victim of at least one sexual abuse as a child in Quebec.
Tourigny, M., M. Hébert, J. Joly, M. Cyr et K. Baril (2008). « Prevalence and co‐occurrence of violence against children in the Quebec population », Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, vol. 32, n° 4, p. 331‑335.
Vaillancourt-Morel, M.-P., Godbout, N., Bédard, M., Charest, É., Briere, J. et Sabourin, S. (2016). Emotional and Sexual Correlates of Child Sexual Abuse as a Function of Self-Definition Status. Child Maltreatment. 21. 10.1177/1077559516656069.
Prevalence of sexual violence in adulthood
8.2% of men report having experienced sexual assault since the age of 15 in Canada
Prevalence of men with disabilities
22% of men with a mental health disability reported being sexually violenceed at least once since the age of 15
Statistique Canada. (2018). Les expériences de victimisation avec violence chez les personnes ayant une incapacité liée à la santé mentale au Canada, 2018. [En ligne], repéré à https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220126/dq220126b-fra.htm
Prevalence of incarcerated men
Prevalence of First Nations and Inuit men
Prevalence of incarcerated men
More than 1 in 5 men (21.3%) in Canada who have experienced a period of incarceration experienced sexual abuse as a child.
Bodkin, C. Pivnick, L., Bondy, S. J., Ziegler, C., Elwood Martin, R., Jernigan, C. et F. Kouyoumdjian. (2019). History of Childhood Abuse in Populations Incarcerated in Canada: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. American Journal of Public Health. 109. 10.2105/AJPH.2018.304855.
Prevalence of First Nations and Inuit men
12.6% of Indigenous men report having experienced sexual assault since the age of 15 in Canada
Cotter, A et L. Savage, (2019). La violence fondée sur le sexe et les comportements sexuels non désirés au Canada, 2018 : Premiers résultats découlant de l’Enquête sur la sécurité dans les espaces publics et privés. Juristat, produit no 85-002-X au catalogue de Statistique Canada.
(without distinction of gender)
Unfortunately, we have very few studies on sexual violence differentiated by gender for indigenous men. In Canada, the study by Collin-Vézina, Dion and Tocmé (2009) mentions a rate varying between 25 to 50% of childhood sexual abuse (without distinction of gender).
Collin-Vézina, D., Dion, J. et Trocmé, N. (2009). Sexual abuse in Canadian Aboriginal communities: A broad review of conflicting evidence. Pimatisiwin: A Journal of Aboriginal and Indigenous Community Health, 7(1), 27-47.
Prevalence of GBTQ+ men
1 in 4 men (25.5%) belonging to GBTQ2S+ communities report having experienced sexual violence since the age of 15 in Canada
Jaffray, B. (2020). Les expériences de victimisation avec violence et de comportements sexuels non désirés vécues par les personnes gaies, lesbiennes, bisexuelles et d’une autre minorité sexuelle, et les personnes transgenres au Canada, 2018. Juristat, produit No 85-002-X au catalogue de Statistique Canada
In total, 4 in 10 gay men (38%) and a similar proportion of bisexual men (41%) experienced at least one type of unwanted sexual behavior in the 12 months in 2018, triple the corresponding proportion heterosexual men (12%).
Cotter, A et L. Savage, (2019). La violence fondée sur le sexe et les comportements sexuels non désirés au Canada, 2018 : Premiers résultats découlant de l’Enquête sur la sécurité dans les espaces publics et privés. Juristat, produit no 85-002-X au catalogue de Statistique Canada.
Young gay or bisexual men may be up to 5 times more likely to have experienced sexual abuse in childhood compared to heterosexual men.
Friedman, M. S., Marshal, M. P., Guadamuz, T. E., Wei, C., Wong, C. F., Saewyc, E. M., et Stall, R. (2011). A Meta-Analysis of Disparities in Childhood Sexual Abuse, Parental Physical Abuse, and Peer Victimization Among Sexual Minority and Sexual Nonminority Individuals. American Journal of Public Health, 101(8), 1481–1494. doi:10.2105/ajph.2009.190009
Prevalence of men in educational settings
It is young men, aged 35 and under, who are most at risk of experiencing sexual violence.
More than 1 in 4 men (26.4%) report having experienced at least one act of sexual violence by a person affiliated with the university in Quebec
Bergeron, M., Hébert, M., Ricci, S., Goyer, M.-F., Duhamel, N., Kurtzman, L., … S. Parent (2016). Violences sexuelles en milieu universitaire au Québec : Rapport de recherche de l’enquête ESSIMU. Montréal : Université du Québec à Montréal.
Nearly 1 in 4 students (23.2%) report having experienced sexual violence in a college in Quebec
Bergeron, M., Gagnon, A., Blackburn, M.-È., M-Lavoie, D., Paré, C., Roy, S., Szabo, A., et Bourget, C. (2020). Rapport de recherche de l’enquête PIECES : Violences sexuelles en milieu collégial au Québec. Chaire de recherche sur les violences sexistes et sexuelles en milieu d’enseignement supérieur, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec.
Male students from GBTQ2S+ communities are more likely to experience sexual harassment (58.2%) compared to female LGBTQ2S+ students or trans/non-binary people (45.6% and 46.3%) but less sexual behavior unwanted people with contacts (10.9% compared to 15.5% and 17.1%)
Paquette, G., Castonguay-Khounsombath, S., Bergeron, M., Martin-Storey, A., Labonté, A. et Prévost, E. (2021). La violence sexuelle subie par les universitaires du Québec issus des minorités sexuelles et de genre et les pratiques de prévention et d’intervention. Sherbrooke : Université de Sherbrooke
Social Recognition
Men sexual victimization is less recognized and less accepted, compared to women
Bennett, S., Banyard, V. L., et Edwards, K. M. (2017). The Impact of the Bystander's Relationship With the Victim and the Perpetrator on Intent to Help in Situations Involving Sexual Violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 32(5), 682-702. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0886260515586373
Ioannou, M., Hammond, L., et Machin, L. (2017). Male-on-male sexual assault: Victim, offender and offence characteristics. Journal of Investigative Psychology & Offender Profiling, 14(2), 189- 209. doi:10.1002/jip.1483
Reitz-Krueger, C. L., Mummert, S. J., et Troupe, S. M. (2017). Real men can't get raped: an examination of gendered rape myths and sexual assault among undergraduates. Journal of Aggression, Conflict & Peace Research, 9(4), 314-323. doi:10.1108/JACPR-06-2017-0303
In total, 1 in 5 sexual violence victims—both women and men (20% each)—said that someone made them feel like they were responsible for their own victimization.
Cotter, A et L. Savage, (2019). La violence fondée sur le sexe et les comportements sexuels non désirés au Canada, 2018 : Premiers résultats découlant de l’Enquête sur la sécurité dans les espaces publics et privés. Juristat, produit no 85-002-X au catalogue de Statistique Canada.
There are still many myths about men who have experienced sexual violence which contribute to slowing down social recognition of this problem. For example, men are blamed more for freezing or not resisting than women.
Ostermann, J. et Watson, S. (2024). Perceptions of the Freezing Response of Male and Female Rape Victims, and an Examination of the Moderating Role of Rape Myth Beliefs. Journal of Criminal Psychology. 10.1108/JCP-01-2024-0002.
Reitz-Krueger, C. L., Mummert, S. J., et Troupe, S. M. (2017). Real men can’t get raped: an examination of gendered rape myths and sexual assault among undergraduates. Journal of Aggression, Conflict & Peace Research, 9(4), 314-323. doi:10.1108/JACPR-06-2017-0303
Individual Recognition
According to a Quebec study, 4 out of 5 men who admitted to having experienced childhood sexual abuse behavior against them did not identify this experience as sexual abuse.
Vaillancourt-Morel, M., Godbout, N., Bédard, M., Charest, É., Briere, J. et S. Sabourin. (2016). Emotional and Sexual Correlates of Child Sexual Abuse as a Function of Self-Definition Status. Child Maltreatment. 21. 10.1177/1077559516656069.
A similar proportion among men victims of sexual violence as adults; 76% of men who admitted to having experienced sexually aggressive behaviors as adults did not identify this experience as being sexual violence in itself.
Artime, T. M., McCallum, E. B., et Peterson, Z. D. (2014). Men’s Acknowledgment of Their Sexual Victimization Experiences. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 15(3), 313-323. doi:10.1037/a0033376
22% of men reported not being affected at all by the sexual violence compared to 2% of women. There appears to be an issue of recognition of consequences among men, although the need may be present.
Cotter, A et L. Savage, (2019). La violence fondée sur le sexe et les comportements sexuels non désirés au Canada, 2018 : Premiers résultats découlant de l’Enquête sur la sécurité dans les espaces publics et privés. Juristat, produit no 85-002-X au catalogue de Statistique Canada.
Disclosure
Sexual violence is the crime least reported to the police. Only 6% of sexual violences are reported to the police
Cotter, A. (2021). La victimisation criminelle au Canada, 2019. Juristat, produit No 85-002-X au catalogue de Statistique Canada.
Men are twice as likely to never disclose their childhood sexual abuse compared to women (34.2% vs. 15.7%).
Hébert M. ,Tourigny M., Cyr M., McDuff P. et J. Joly (2009). Prevalence of Childhood Sexual Abuse and Timing of Disclosure in a Representative Sample of Adults from Quebec, Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 54(9), 631–6
1 in 2 men (52%) who consult non-profit organizations in Quebec have never disclosed childhood sexual abuse to a relative (e.g. parents, friends, etc.)
Godbout, N., Lebeau, R., Brassard, A., Deslauriers, J-M., Fernet, M., Hébert, M. et al. (2023, 10 mai). Hommes victimes de traumas interpersonnels qui consultent auprès d’organismes d’aide : portrait [communication orale]. 91e congrès de l’ACFAS, Montréal, QC. Canada.
Request
for help
In the university population in Quebec, men seem less likely to disclose events (50.2%) than women (67.4%)
Bergeron, M., Hébert, M., Ricci, S., Goyer, M.-F., Duhamel, N., Kurtzman, L., … S. Parent (2016). Violences sexuelles en milieu universitaire au Québec : Rapport de recherche de l’enquête ESSIMU. Montréal : Université du Québec à Montréal.
In Quebec, men consult psychosocial services less and feel less need for them, despite the fact that the needs seem very real and significant.
Roy, J., Tremblay, G., Cazale, L., Cloutier, R. et Lebeau, A. (2017). Discussion sur les hommes et leur rapport aux services. Dans Les hommes au Québec : Un portrait social et de santé (115- 125). Québec : Presses de l’Université Laval
Drouin, C. et Trépanier, M. (2018). Répondre aux besoins des victimes masculines de violence conjugale. Via L’anse. Repéré à https://vialanse.com/wp-content/uploads/Drouin-et-Trepanier-2018-Rapport-de-recherche.pdf
Dulac, G. (2001) Aider les hommes… aussi. Montréal : VLB éditeur
Impact of #MeToo
In the last three months of 2017, although men made up a much smaller proportion of victims, the number of men victims also increased by 25% after #MeToo (723 compared to 578 in an average quarter before # Me too).
Rotenberg, C. et A. Cotter (2018). Les agressions sexuelles déclarées par la police au Canada avant et après le mouvement #MoiAussi, 2016 et 2017. No 85-002-X au catalogue de Statistique Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2018001/article/54979-fra.htm
Sexual offenses reported annually by men to the police have increased by 61% since the #MeToo movement, going from 973 in 2017 to 1,570 in 2024.
Consequences
The physical and psychological consequences of sexual violence tend to be similar for men and women
Elliott, D., Mok, D., et Briere, J. (2004). Adult Sexual Assault: Prevalence, Symptomatology, and Sex Differences in the General Population. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 17(3), 203-211. doi:10.1023/B:JOTS.0000029263.11104.23
Graham, R. (2006). Male Rape and the Careful Construction of the Male Victim. Social & Legal Studies, 15(2), 187-208. doi:10.1177/0964663906063571
Peterson, Z. D., Voller, E. K., Polusny, M. A., et Murdoch, M. (2011). Prevalence and consequences of adult sexual assault of men: Review of empirical findings and state of the literature. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(1), 1-24. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2010.08.006
Struckman-Johnson, C., et Struckman-Johnson, D. (2006). A Comparison of Sexual Coercion Experiences Reported by Men and Women in Prison. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21(12), 1591-1615. doi:10.1177/0886260506294240
Studies have demonstrated the existence of a link between victimization experienced during childhood and increased risk of subsequent victimization in adulthood
Burczycka, M. et S. Conroy. (2017). La violence familiale au Canada : un profil statistique, 2015 , Juristat, produit no 85-002-X au catalogue de Statistique Canada.
Maker, A. H., Kemmelmeir, M. et C. Peterson. (2001). Child sexual abuse, peer sexual abuse, and sexual assault in adulthood: A multi-risk model of revictimization, Journal of Traumatic Stress, vol. 14, p. 351 à 368.
Parks, S. E. et al. (2011). Lifetime self-reported victimization among low-income, urban women: The relationship between childhood maltreatment and adult violent victimization », Journal of Interpersonal Violence, vol. 6, no 6, p. 1111 à 1128.
Widom, C. S., Czaja, S. J. et M. A. Dutton. (2008). Childhood victimization and lifetime revictimization, Child Abuse & Neglect, vol. 32, p. 785 à 796.
The scientific literature seems to express that the consequences of questioning identity or questioning sexual orientation are specific consequences of sexual victimization among men.
Gear, S. (2007). Behind the Bars of Masculinity: Male Rape and Homophobia in and about South African Men's Prisons. Sexualities, 10(2), 209-227. doi:10.1177/1363460707075803
Mezey, G., et King, M. (1989). The effects of sexual assault on men: a survey of 22 victims. Psychological Medicine, 19(1), 205-209. doi:10.1017/S0033291700011168
Struckman-Johnson, C., et Struckman-Johnson, D. (1994). Men pressured and forced into sexual experience. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 23(1), 93-114. doi:10.1007/BF01541620
Struckman-Johnson, C., et Struckman-Johnson, D. (2006). A Comparison of Sexual Coercion Experiences Reported by Men and Women in Prison. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21(12), 1591-1615. doi:10.1177/0886260506294240
Walker, J., Archer, J., et Davies, M. (2005b). Effects of rape on men: A descriptive analysis. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 34(1), 69-80.
Weiss, K. G. (2010). Male Sexual Victimization: Examining Men's Experiences of Rape and Sexual Assault. Men & Masculinities, 12(3), 275-298. doi:10.1177/1097184X08322632
In Quebec, among men who experienced childhood sexual abuse, 77.7% of men experience psychological distress, including 15.2% significant distress, 46.5% live with complex post-traumatic stress, 43.7% experience clinically high dissociation, including 15.2% problematic.
22% of men victims of childhood sexual abuse experienced sexual violence as adults
Godbout, N., Lebeau, R., Brassard, A., Deslauriers, J-M., Fernet, M., Hébert, M. et al. (2023, 10 mai). Hommes victimes de traumas interpersonnels qui consultent auprès d’organismes d’aide : portrait [communication orale]. 91e congrès de l’ACFAS, Montréal, QC. Canada.
28% of men report that childhood sexual abuse has affected their sexual orientations in Quebec (42% of bi/homosexual men and 21% of heterosexual men)
Godbout, N., Lebeau, R., Brassard, A., Deslauriers, J-M., Fernet, M., Hébert, M. et al. (2023, 10 mai). Hommes victimes de traumas interpersonnels qui consultent auprès d’organismes d’aide : portrait [communication orale]. 91e congrès de l’ACFAS, Montréal, QC. Canada.