A comparative study of long-term psychological functioning in male survivors of stranger and acquaintance rape

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to compare psychological functioning in male rape survivors who had been raped either by strangers or acquaintances, and to test differences between the functioning of gay versus heterosexual survivors. Thirty-eight male rape survivors completed a range of measures relating to their perceptions about the nature of the effects of their assault, their general health, self-esteem and world assumptions. Results revealed that survivors of stranger rapes had lower psychological functioning overall than survivors of acquaintance rapes. Gay survivors were more likely to have crises about their sexual identity than heterosexual survivors. Suggestions for future work are proposed.