Sexual assault of men in the community

Sexual assault of men in the community, a hidden and unacknowledged crime, has recently become the subject of medical and psychological literature. The present research, conducted in 1992, was designed to determine the nature and existence of this crime in the United States through victim reports to agencies servicing the needs of sexual assault victims. Out of the 336 surveys returned, one hundred and seventy two agencies reported contact with 3,635 men who had sought treatment for sexual assault occurring in their adulthood. Most assaults occurred between the ages of 16 and 30 in which the vast majority of these men experienced symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. The presentation of these figures should alert health professionals to the existence of adult male rape and inspire further research to assess this hidden form of sexual victimization. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.