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A Review of the National Male Survivors Helpline and Online
Service – Project Report
Abstract
There is a growing body of research exploring the issue of male sexual victimisation, both in
the UK and internationally. This scholarship has explored men’s experiences of different forms
of victimisation, perpetrated by both male and female offenders. Research has also looked at
the impacts of sexual violence and abuse on male survivors, police responses to male sexual
victimisation, and help-seeking behaviours of male survivors. Outside of academic research,
national data has been published on the prevalence of male sexual victimisation through the
Crime Survey for England and Wales and police recorded crime data. Whilst useful, this data
is limited in that it does not capture all sexual violence perpetrated against men and is reliant
on men reporting their abuse, something which many men choose not to do.
This research study builds upon existing research on male sexual victimisation. It provides
novel insights into men’s experiences of help-seeking, and the characteristics of male
survivors. Important insights into the usage of, and engagement with, the NMSHOS by male
survivors are also provided. This is significant because the NMSHOS is the only national
support service specifically for male survivors. Analysing the NMSHOS data has enabled an
exploration of the use of the NMSHOS over time, how different factors can potentially interact
with service use, and men’s reasons for accessing the helpline’s services. The findings
presented in this project report represent the first national picture of men’s help-seeking
behaviours in the UK.
Full text available:
https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/138856/1/Male_Survivor_Project_Report_v4.pdf
