When you hear the word sexual assault, what is the first thing that comes to mind? You probably imagined a female being raped or abused by a big strong man. You are right, but I talk about sexual assault among men, especially Black men. There isn’t much information on this topic because men do not come out and say they have been abused. I know men are viewed as strong; they don’t show any emotions. Emotion is equal to weakness! I am sure we have heard the phrase boys don’t cry one time or another, which results in them never talking about their emotions or what has happened to them. With that mentality, what makes you think they will report something like sexual assault? Reporting information like this makes them seem weak, which is not true, but when they have been programmed to think like this, what you think they will report once they get older.
Sexual assault has been a reoccurring topic in the last couple of years for people to voice their stories on this matter. There is a movement called #MeToo where people who have been sexually harassed or assaulted in the workplace can share their stories with the world, which results in many stories that people can relate to. The University of South Carolina reported that one and six men would be sexually assaulted at least once in their lifetimes; however, this number is underestimated due to the low reporting on this subject. About 63% of all sexual assaults in the US are not reported to the policies, and men are less likely to report because of social attitudes and stereotypes about men and their masculinity, according to the 2018 research Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. In the Black community, I know some topics are frowned upon when we want to take the time to shine a light on them because of our culture. Therefore, it is hard to discuss these topics, sexual assaults being one of those topics.
Men and women view different situations differently, so when it comes to sexual assault, they have different views on the issue. An example would be men are more likely to disclose more severe sexual abuse, and men acknowledge and label abuse differently. Some actions are not reported because some men do not want to be labeled as gay, bisexual or queer, according to the University of South Carolina. According to the University of South Carolina, men receive little coverage on this topic because men do not deny sex, and rape myths alter the narrative that men cannot be victims of sexual assaults. People assume because they are men, they are strong enough to protect themselves against predators.
So this brings the question of what now or what can we do to bring awareness to this issue of sexual assaults against Black men. One thing we can do is we can create a space where men feel comfortable talking about issues they have gone through. On the website Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, there is a list of ways we can help survivors on their way to recovery. We need to have thoughtful conversations about these issues and let men know that they are nothing to be ashamed of if they go through sexual assault. They don’t always have to be strong, and being weak doesn’t mean you are less of a man, but they are human. No matter who you are, a man or a woman, NO MEANS NO!