Male Sexual Abuse: A Hidden Epidemic

July 20, 2024 Aashi Singh

Trigger Warning: Mention of sexual abuse, child abuse

Patriarchy does not just oppress women, but rather, it affects people of all genders. It privileges specific ideas of gender and sexuality, which oppresses anyone and everyone who does not adhere to these ideas. Male sexual abuse is a hidden epidemic which is a direct result of patriarchy because patriarchy prevents boys and men from speaking up about it in public. Shame is attached to male victims of sexual abuse, and they are either ridiculed or not believed even when they do decide to speak up. Moreover, laws also affect socio-cultural perceptions of male sexual abuse and affect the lives of millions of victims across the country.

Patriarchy and Male Sexual Abuse

Image by Carlos Gabriel Morales Toro from Pixabay

Patriarchy propagates a specific idea of masculinity, which is highly damaging for men. It proposes that a man is someone who is aggressive, strong, and sexually assertive. It is assumed that men will always consent to sex and, therefore, cannot be abused. Even if they are abused, men are conditioned not to speak up since being emotional or vulnerable is perceived as a weakness. Even when men do decide to speak up and file a complaint, they are ridiculed by other men who fail to understand and empathise with them due to their own prejudices and misconceptions about sexual harassment. This is mainly because of the lack of awareness and discussion about male sexual abuse. Therefore, even men fail to support fellow male victims, causing them to feel isolated and judged by the larger society.

Recently, Suraj Revanna, Janata Dal (Secular) MLC (Member of Legislative Council), was accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old male party worker. The party worker was assaulted by the MLC and instructed to keep quiet about the incident. This instance showcases how men are capable of being assaulted, and their testimonies deserve to see the light of day. Even when patriarchy continues to silence the victims, it is essential for the media to report such instances without bias. Research also needs to be conducted in order to map out the number of cases across different ages. Even though data exists on the number of boys who face abuse in their childhood, there is little data available on the amount of adult men who are abused in India. The gap in the data needs to be filled, and sensitisation sessions should be conducted to talk about this issue while also providing adequate protection to survivors of male sexual abuse.

India Penal Code and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita

Photo by Sora Shimazaki

The Indian Penal Code provided protection to male sexual abuse survivors under Section 377. However, the Indian Penal Code has now been replaced by Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which has no provisions for providing justice to male sexual abuse survivors. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita came into effect on July 1st 2024, and it is a major setback in the Indian law system since it leaves male victims vulnerable without any legal protection. Such systemic changes that hinder the safety of a huge population reflect the societal idea of who can be the victim and who can be the perpetrator. The gendered notions and language associated with laws relating to sexual abuse showcase how patriarchy paints a binary picture of abuse when, in reality, anyone, including men, can be a victim of the heinous crime. The law also alienates transgender individuals from protection and puts them at greater risk, primarily because trans individuals are unable to access safety in public spaces due to their marginalisation by society.

The Hindu reported that the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita will be amended to include male victims as well, but it is unclear as to when exactly the amendment will happen. The fact that the law requires amendment showcases the carelessness of the lawmakers and their complete ignorance of the issues plaguing the country. The law brings into question the knowledge and expertise of the lawmakers and begs the analysis of their intentions behind implementing such regressive laws. Male sexual abuse is always brought up when feminists demand greater protection for women, but the issue is rarely discussed, even by men, when such laws are passed in the country. This showcases how the issue is primarily weaponised to silence women, which negatively impacts people of all genders since the issue is never talked about with the nuance and depth with which it should be talked about.

Social Perception of Masculinity

It is high time that we alter the ways in which we perceive masculinity since the patriarchal notion of a man is highly damaging. It alienates men across the intersections of caste, class, sexuality, and disability, and forces them to conform to toxic notions that harm the larger society. There also needs to be a safety mechanism for male sexual abuse survivors so that they can access them as and when needed. Sexual abuse has a severely negative impact on mental health, and there needs to be steps taken by the government as well as by the people to ensure that conversations relating to abuse, as well as mental illness, are not ignored when it comes to men. An equal society can only be possible if all genders are given adequate protection from the issues that plague the country.

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