Caring for Boys Affected by Sexual Violence

This initial scoping study into sexual violence affecting boys sought to understand the existing knowledge base on the drivers of sexual violence affecting boys, and the existing intervention practice in this area. It is the first stage of a wider project, and designed to inform the future planned work of Family for Every Child member organisations; to understand how social norms around gender influence how we care for boys affected by sexual violence; and to identify what is being done by likeminded organisations to ensure that boys affected by sexual violence recover fully and grow up in a permanent, safe and caring family or quality alternative care, where needed.

This study explores both sexual abuse experienced by boys, including sexual exploitation, as well as harmful sexual behaviour of boys. These are referred to collectively in the report as ‘sexual violence’. The study uses a working definition of harmful sexual behaviour of children as ‘sexual activity where one individual has not consented, or where their relationship includes an imbalance of power, for example due to age, intellectual ability, physical ability or impairment (disability), or physical strength’.1 By considering both sexual abuse of boys and harmful sexual behaviour of boys the aim is not to imply that one leads to the other in a deterministic way. In fact, boys who have experienced sexual abuse and boys who have been actors in harmful sexual behaviour share a number of indicators, as well as risk and resilience factors, which is one reason for considering both in this study. Another reason is that many of the interventions to address child sexual abuse and children’s harmful sexual behaviour are delivered by the same service providers, although requiring different approaches. Finally, the study sought to understand whether and how social norms around gender and masculinity influence sexual abuse experienced by boys and harmful sexual behaviour of boys, which will be explored through primary research being carried out by Family for Every Child. To discourage the perception that sexual abuse is a cause of harmful sexual behaviour, the authors have strived to consider each independently of the other, while recognising that it is possible for boys to be both a victim of sexual abuse and an actor in harmful sexual behaviour. This study comprised a literature review and key informant interviews.

Children and families were not consulted in the study, as they will participate in the primary research for the second stage of this project, with all the due safeguards a more in-depth study can provide for on such sensitive issues. However, this does limit the findings of this initial study. The sheer lack of data on sexual violence affecting boys also limits the findings of the study, as well as fuelling and being fuelled by misconceptions and biasing donor interest and funding.