Sexual harassment for men is a real thing. It can happen anywhere: at school, at the workplace, on the street, on the internet. And yes — the perpetrators are both males and females, just like when women are the victims.
Further education on the topic is of high importance. It is very important to get to the heart of the problem, find out where it happens most often, and give people advice on how to protect themselves.
There Are a Lot More Victims Than You Think
If you think the probability of something like this is zero, you are wrong. Many men complain of sexual harassment at work. Women are still at the center of the problem, though, and they should be, as they are more likely to be assaulted. But men also got their place on the list in the last couple of years. According to the statistics, the number of male victims of sexual violence has grown to an average of 463,634 victims per year. Quite alarming, isn’t it?
How Most People React To to Sexual Harassment
Even once we take into consideration the mentioned statistics, we can’t know the precise number of men who are getting harassed every day. Although women are most likely to fill these statistics, there must be a hidden message for the problem.. Does that mean most men won’t admit it? Are they ashamed to report something like that? If so, why?
We consider men to be the stronger sex. Parents have been raising their male children for decades to be strong because boys don’t cry. They are afraid that close people to them, such as colleagues, or even relatives and friends, will make fun of them.. They are afraid that the information about the act will not leak.
All of this cover-up can lead to anxiety, repression of feelings in a relationship, or even avoidance of entering into a relationship.
For the first time in history, let’s fight for men and their right to choose. It is time to fight for their honor. Sexual harassment is not solely a women’s problem. Men have feelings too. Men have the right to be heard.
And maybe it’s time to stop wearing our ancestors ’shoes and nurture these empty beliefs, such as that guys don’t cry. What do you think about that?
The After-Effects that Harassment Causes
Men getting sexually harassed can lead to quite a lot of difficulties. Victims of molestation often suffer from many psychological and physical effects. We have already mentioned that they can become anxious, introverted, and depressed. Sexually harassed men can also feel nausea, headache, and lose confidence.
They may develop sleep disorders, and they may have problems with excessive weight gain, and they might start losing weight suddenly.. Some men may feel shame and lose interest in sex and develop negative body picture feelings due to that.
PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, could also be a diagnosis for harassment in men. It can bring long-buried feelings to the surface. But it can also trigger new symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Heart rate and breathing change, and so add another list of health conditions that may appear! The stress can even manifest a chronic physical health problem such as high blood pressure. A person might experience problems with blood sugar levels later in life too. And muscle aches and headaches are no strange conditions as well.
Getting Aware and Be Warned
Who are the perpetrators of sexual violence? Where do they come from? Do they enjoy the act of sexually harassing anyone?
As for the statistics, the most common perpetrators are acquaintances. Right after them, statistics show people can’t be safe with strangers, and even their current or former relationship partner. . You can’t even be sure with a cousin. How scary is that?
Sexual harassers come unexpectedly to strike people. However, there is one type of person you should keep your distance from. According to the statistics, serial criminals have committed rape most of the time.
Obviously, it excites them in some way, but you can’t know for sure who they are. Whether it is a woman or a man, they can use various methods of scaring you to get what they want. They usually carry a gun or knife with them.
To sum up, perpetrators can be anyone from age 15 to age 85. Gender identity doesn’t mean much, neither does sexual orientation. They can even have a sort of relationship with the victim. Some perpetrators may choose their victim if a person reminds them of someone else.
But it’s no secret that people are scared to be judged or hurt by someone. Out of every 1,000 sexual assaults, only 310 have reported it to the police. Be careful and go to the police if you suspect anything. We must stop sexual harassment!
Protecting Yourself and the People Around You
Do you want to know more about how you can protect yourself and others around you? The first step is acknowledging harassment as a real problem, whether you’re a woman or man, whether you’re a minor or an adult.
Expand knowledge about what sexual harassment includes. Support anyone to take classes about this topic. Visit seminars and ask for help.
Sexual harassment includes many things, either physically or assaulting someone by making inappropriate jokes on the sex topic. To protect yourself, avoid lonely places at night, trust your intuition, lock the door, and be careful about the information you post on the internet. When you’re at the club, stay with friends and take care of your alcohol intake.
Male Victims Support: No One Gets Behind
It is now equally clear that we need to protect men as much as women. There are sites such as Safe Helpline where you can talk to a staff member online or by phone if you are concerned.
Always remember that you are not alone in this. There’s no need for you to face these challenges alone. And there’s no need for you to cover up your feelings.
If you need someone to talk to or someone to guide you through trauma, you can call the national sexual assault hotline. It will automatically route you to the nearest sexual assault service provider.
Whatever your nationality is, whatever your age is, and whatever your skin color is, you can be a part of the group. There’s a support center for everyone.
Visit rainn.org to read more about the support for male survivors from where you stand. Don’t be afraid to talk about every bit of it. After all, you are the victim, but you are also a survivor. Be proud of surviving!