Sexual Abuse of Males

The SAM Model of Theory and Practice

Josef Spiegel

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781135466282
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Psicología
• Subtopic: Psicología clínica

This comprehensive text is one of the first to tackle the grave matter of the sexual abuse of boys, in all its complexity, within a biopsychosocial context and from different vantage points. Based on the life histories of more than one thousand sexually abused boys and adult males with histories of childhood sexual abuse, Sexual Abuse of Males examines the myriad biological, psychological, interpersonal, familial, and social variables that underlie and impact the experience of childhood sexual abuse. Guided by research and informed by practice, this pioneering text presents an extensive review of the literature, a well-grounded theoretical model of abuse dynamics and effects, a systematic model of treatment. This information is further elucidated through compelling case illustrations that highlight the effects of sexual abuse with regard to biological, psychological, and social adaptation, and development.

PART ONE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

EMPIRICAL RESEARCH, clinical reports, the media, and social movements soundly maintain that childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is one of the most serious forms of interpersonal violence among both boys and girls (see, e.g., Boney-McCoy & Finkelhor, 1995b; De Bellis, 2001; Gartner, 1999; National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, web page [www.childabuse.org]; National Organization on Male Sexual Victimization, web page [www.malesurvivor.org]; SNAP: Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, w e b page [www.survivorsnetwork.org/~snapper/SNAP]). Data and messages from these same sources, historically and currently, minimize and, in some cases, promote the incidence of CSA by way of muting its occurrence and abridging to the smallest degree its effects (see, e.g., Masson, 1984; the North American Man/Boy Love Association, web page [www.nambla.org]; Riegel, 2000; Rind, Tromovitch & Bauserman, 1998). These two contributaries of information merge to produce a confusing history. Following is a brief (and noninclusive) synopsis.

1849 The Texas Supreme Court rules in favor of a father who allegedly incested his daughter. The court can not conceive that incest occurs in this day and age in the United States of America (Ashby, 1997).

1889 Pierre Janet authors L'automatisme psychologique, one of the first books to introduce and expound upon dissociation as a reaction to, and as a means of coping with, psychological trauma. He asserts that “merely uncovering memories [is] not enough; they need to be modified and transformed, i.e., placed in their proper context and reconstructed into neutral or meaningful narratives” (Janet, 1889, cited in van der Kolk & van der Hart, 1989).

1891 By the mere exclusion of the word “feloniously,” the Mississippi Supreme Court reverses an incest conviction (Ashby, 1997).

1896 In two separate but related publications, “The Aetiology of Hysteria” and “Studies on Hysteria,” Sigmund Freud offers what comes to be known as the seduction theory to account for the dynamics and effects experienced by female patients with histories of childhood sexual abuse. Based on actual cases from his practice, he takes great risk and goes to great lengths to demonstrate how CSA is a causal factor in the manifestation of traumatic effects, such as adult hysteria, fear, obsessiveness, and compulsive sexual behavior (Freud, 1896/1962; Gay, 1988; Masson, 1984). However, his presentation of a paper on hysteria at a professional conference is less than appreciated by members of the Vienna Circle, his network of colleagues and followers.

1897 Freud shifts paradigms, moving, within a period of a year, from the seduction theory to the development of the oedipal theory. Unable to reconcile the pervasiveness of CSA, he attributes the source of the vast numbers of sexual abuse disclosures to the fantasy lives of the women under his care. What were once viewed as repressed traumatic memories from childhood are now perceived as the emergence of unconscious childhood wishes for sex. Further, while the seduction theory was deduced from his clinical practice, the oedipal theory is based on self-analysis (Freud, 1896/1962; Gay, 1988).

1900 The Georgia Supreme Court rules in favor of a stepfather accused of sexually abusing his stepdaughter. The stepdaughter alleges that she has repeatedly tried to stop him from having intercourse with her but to no avail. The Court concludes that the stepdaughter consented to sexual relations with her stepfather; however, she must have done so with a sense of reluctance given her need to simultaneously maintain a viable relationship with the woman who was both her mother and her stepfather’s wife (Ashby, 1997).

1930 The White House sponsors a conference on child health and protection. The organizing committee contends that physical cruelty is much less prevalent today than it was at the turn of the century. In response, Theodore Lothrop, General Secretary of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, argues that the sexual abuse of young males is far more common than purported and that it amounts to a serious national problem. His comments cannot be found in the committee’s final report (Costin, Karger, & Stoesz, 1996).

1932 Sandor Ferenczi presents his paper, “Confusion of Tongues Between Adults and the Child” (1932/1949) at the International Psychoanalytic Congress in Wiesbaden, Germany. He emphatically asserts that CSA must not be underestimated as it has been in the past. “The real rape of girls . . . similar acts of mature women with boys, and also enforced homosexual acts, are far more frequent occurrences than has hitherto been assumed” (p. 201). He calls attention to CSA’s debilitating effects, highlighting personality fragmentation, dissociation, and identification with the aggressor, in addition to the core consequences of guilt and shame. Shortly thereafter, and in response to taking such a stand, Ferenczi is ostracized from his professional network and rejected by his mentor, Sigmund Freud.

1937 Drs. Lauretta Bender and Abram Blau, after investigating females with histories of childhood sexual abuse, assert that girls play a very active role in initiating sexual relationships with adult males, characterizing them as “bold, flaunting and even brazen” (Bender & Blau, 1937, p. 510). They conclude that adult males are victims of the girls' seductive and precocious behaviors and that girls experience little if any negative consequences as a result of sexual interactions with adults.

1941 The sexual abuse of boys and girls living in orphanages during World War II is corroborated. The children are often blamed by intervening professionals (Ashby, 1997).

1942 Sloane and Karpinski (1942) maintain that girls subjected to CSA evidence few, if any, negative effects since children “often unconsciously desire the sexual activity and become more or less a willing partner in it” (p. 666).

1950 Raskovsky and Raskovsky (1950) report that sexual relations between an adult and a child advance the child’s psychosocial adaptation capacities.

1953 The Kinsey Institute releases an account of their landmark study, Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (Kinsey, Pomeroy, Martin, & Gebhard, 1953). In spite of the study’s rendered childhood sexual abuse prevalence rate of 25% among females, the Kinsey team states: “It is difficult to understand why a child, except for cultural conditioning, should be disturbed at having its genitalia touched, or disturbed at seeing the genitalia of other persons, or disturbed even at more specific sexual acts” (p. 121). In fact, childhood sexual abuse is “not likely to do the child any appreciable harm ” (p. 122).

1955 Weinberg delineates a childhood sexual abuse incidence rate of nine cases per million population (1955).

1962 The slogan “Sex before year eight or it’s too late,” coined by the René Guyon Society, is employed to advocate for social policy sanctioning sex between an adult and a child as well as sex between children. This society is founded by seven lay persons after attending a seminar in Los Angeles on human sexuality. The group is named in honor of the French jurist and Freudian psychologist who advocated for adult-child sex. The René Guyon Society encourages sexual relations between parents and their own children (de Young, 1989).

1962 Dr. Henry Kempe and colleagues publish the seminal article, “The Battered Child Syndrome” (Kempe, Silverman, Steele, Droegmueller, & Silver, 1962). In it, they not only bring public attention to the devastating effects of physical abuse, but also reprimand physicians for not detecting and treating it and parents and caretakers for not preventing and reporting it.

1970 The National Commission on Obscenity and Pornography, in a published report, deduces the following: (a) Children are not victimized by pornography; (b) pornography does not promote criminal activity; therefore (c) pornography should not be a matter of social concern (Report of the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography, 1970).

1971 Henry Giaretto develops “Parents United,” a self-help model for the treatment of incest. Conceived on family systems theory and humanistic psychology, this model views incest as symptomatic of dysfunctional family dynamics and conflictual marriage interactions wherein parents and daughters unconsciously actualize the abhorrent behavior.

1971 The Childhood Sensuality Circle is established in San Diego, California. This new group argues in favor of sexual self-determination for adults and children alike. Members champion the early initiation of children into sexual relationships, sexual relations between parents and their children, and the repeal of age of consent laws (de Young, 1989).

1974 The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 USC 5101-5106), sponsored by Senator Walter Móndale of Minnesota, is signed into law. It requires states to initiate mandatory reporting procedures as a prerequisite to obtaining federal funding for combating child abuse (Moore, 1992).

1975 The Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, edited by Freedman, Kaplan, and Sadock (1975) supports the current incidence estimate of sexual abuse cases: 1 per million.

1976 The New York Gay Activist Alliance is the first gay group to sponsor a public forum on man/boy love (Thorstad, 1991).

1977 Dr. Henry Kempe and associates establish the International Society for Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect.

1978 Louise Armstrong authors the book, Kiss Daddy Goodnight: A Speak-Out on Incest, and produces the first feminist documentary on the sexual abuse of girls within their families.

1978 A conference entitled “Man-Boy Love: Age and Consent” is held in Boson at a community church. One hundred fifty people attend. Afterwards, 30 man-boy lovers and youth form the North American Man Boy Love Association (NAMBLA). As a sociopolitical organization, NAMBLA seeks to: (a) advocate sex with boys; (b) lobby for the legalization of adult-child sexual activities; and (c) provide legal assistance to its members. It espouses sexual freedom for all, not just for gays and lesbians (de Young, 1989).

1980 Maria Nasjleti authors the journal report, “Suffering in Silence: The Male Incest Victim.” It is the first major article to address the sexual abuse of males as it interfaces with gender role socialization and social mythology.

1982 The social concealment and the clinical misperceptions around CSA up to the recent past comprise a period known as the “Age of Denial.” Based on the publication of a number of works recognizing and authenticating the sexual abuse of females — Father-Daughter Incest (Herman, 1981), Incest: A Psychological Study of Cause and Effects with Treatment Recommendations (Meiselman, 1979), and The Best Kept Secret: Sexual Abuse of Children (Rush, 1980)—a new period emerges: the “Age of Validation” (Armstrong, 1982).

1983 "The Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome,” written by Orlando Summit, is perhaps the most referenced work in the CSA literature. Based on the responses of children, particularly females, to CSA, this article highlights the child’s perspective vis-à-vis adult assumptions and sensibilities. In the years ahead, it will become a subject of controversy within the judicial system.

1985 The Reverend Giblet Gauthe, a Catholic priest in Lafayette, Louisiana, is sentenced to 20 years for sexually abusing numerous children. He was accused of molesting children since 1972. When church authorities were informed of his perpetration, he was moved from one parish to the next (Jenkins, 1996).

1987 A confidential report, authored by two priests, Thomas Doyle and Michael Peterson, as well as the Reverend Gauthe’s attorney, F. Ray Moulton, is submitted to the Catholic hierarchy. Entitled “The Problem of Sexual Molestation by Roman Catholic Clergy: Meeting the Problem in a Comprehensive and Responsible Manner,” this report warns against delayed reactions to abuse allegations, the destruction of evidence, and meetings held in secret (Jenkins, 2001).

1986 David Finkelhor and colleagues Sharon Araji, Larry Baron, Angela Browne, Stefanie D. Peters, and Gail E. Wyatt produce A Sourcebook on Child Sexual Abuse. It contains one of the most cited references in the CSA field, “Traumagenic Dynamics,” a conceptual framework based on the sexual abuse of females knowledge base.

1986 Based on data generated from a random probability sample, Diana E. H. Russell authors The Secret Trauma: Incest in the Lives of Girls and Women. This study will come to be a model in terms of its research methodology, particularly in the areas of defining sexual abuse, sampling procedures, and enhancing internal and external validity.

1986 Rieker and Carmen, in their seminal paper, “The Victim-to-Patient Process: The Disconfirmation and Transformation of the Abuse Process,” underscore the importance of “recontextualizing” the abuse experience of females. Their model “emphasizes the fragmented identity that derives from victims' attempts to accommodate or adjust to the judgments that others make about the abuse” (1986, p. 360). Thus, the victims' reality, embedded beneath denial and fragmented by dissociation, must emerge to the fore.

1988 Healing the Incest Wound: Adult Survivors in Therapy, authored by psychotherapist Christine Courtois, is published to great acclaim. It is the most comprehensive text on the dynamics and effects associated with, and the treatment of, the incestual experiences of females.

1988 The Courage to Heal: A Guidefor Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, written by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis, is released. In 4 years it will spawn controversy, particularly in terms of the false memory disputation; however, it will remain a popular resource guide for adult females with histories of CSA.

1988 Mike Lew authors the landmark book, Victims No Longer: Men Recovering from Incest and Other Sexual Child Abuse. His intention is to “provide as much information as possible to as many people as possible about a subject that seems to be ignored as much as possible” (1988, p. 3). This is the first published book written directly for males with histories of childhood sexual abuse.

1990 In the first national childhood sexual abuse study to employ state-of-the-art research methodology, including a random probability sample and a definition of sexual abuse restricted to respondents' perceptions, Finkelhor, Hotaling, Lewis, and Smith (1990) report that 16% of American males have histories of CSA.

1990 The Sexually Abused Male: Volume 1, Prevalence, Impact and Treatment and Volume 2, Application of Treatment Strategies is published. Edited by Mic Hunter (1990a, 1990b), it encompasses a review of the literature, individual and group interventions, and practice guidelines.

1990 Sandfort, Bronfersma, and van Naerssen, three members of the editorial board of Paidika: The Journal of Paedophilia, are selected to be guest editors for a special issue of the Journal of Homosexuality. The theme of this special issue is “Male Intergenerational Intimacy.” In it, the editors suggest that rather than use the term “pedophilia,” they prefer “man/boy love” and “intergenerational intimacy” because the latter phrases “give man-boy contacts a less dangerous outlook” (1990, p. 8).

1992 "Primetime Live,” the ABC network news magazine, conducts a thorough investigation of Father James Porter, a Catholic priest accused of abusing between 200 and 300 children in the Massachusetts diocese of Fall River prior to retiring from the priesthood in 1974. His attorney argues: “You've got a church that knew as early as 1963 that there had been 30 to 40 reports of what this man had done, and they kept him supervising altar boys for four more years in this state” (Jenkins, 2001, p. 47).

1993 President William Jefferson Clinton signs the “National Child Protection Act of 1993” on December 20. The stated purpose of this act is to mandate “States to report information of arrests and convictions for child abuse crimes to the national criminal history record system maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation ” (House Report No. 103-393).

1994 Psychologist Elizabeth Loftus and researcher Katherine Ketcham compose the controversial text, The Myth of Repressed Memory : False Memories and Allegations of Sexual Abuse. The authors assert that rather than being victims of CSA, female patients are victimized by their therapists' zeal in linking isolated symptoms to repressed memories of childhood trauma. Therapists are accused of diagnosing a history of CSA without reason and of implanting false recollections of CSA that lack corroboration.

1995 The National Organization of Male Sexual Victimization (NOSMV) is officially established and incorporated by a Founding Congress composed of therapists and laypersons with histories of CSA. Its mission is to advance understanding, treatment, research, and social policy with respect to the sexual abuse of males.

1996 The people of the State of New York, as represented by their State Senate and Assembly, render null and void Zymurgy, Inc., a not-for-profit organization, because it “has acted fraudulently . . . on behalf of. . . the North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA), whose members engage in and actively promote illegal sexual activity between adults and children, without revealing its affiliation with that organization. Such misrepresentation is known to have enabled NAMBLA to gain access to facilities from which it would otherwise have been excluded, and to have otherwise misled the public about the true nature of Zymurgy, Inc.” (bill number S7879).

1997 "The Boylove Manifesto” is released on the Internet. Its demands include freedom of speech in the media, promotion of a boy’s rights to pursue a sexual relationship with an adult male, reconsideration of the term “pedophile,” as it is polemic, and the freedom of sexual expression between and among boys and boylovers (Mahoney & Faulker, 1997).

1997 Sheldon Kennedy, a National Hockey League player, discloses a history of childhood sexual abuse. His perpetrator was his mentor and coach. Numerous others, in response, disclose their histories of abuse by the same perpetrator-coach (Kornheiser, 1998).

1998 Rind, Tromovitch, and Bauserman (1998) author a review of 59 studies on the effects of childhood sexual abuse. In “A Meta-Analytic Examination of Assumed Properties of Child Sexual Abuse Using College Samples,” the authors contend that researchers of late have greatly overstated the harmful potential of CSA and that the sexual abuse of males does not correlate with negative effects or maladjustment. Further, the authors encourage researchers to study a young male’s appraisal of his sexual encounter with an adult. In doing so, investigators would likely discover that such an encounter would not constitute childhood sexual abuse but rather be viewed “simply [as] adult-child sex” (p. 46). Their article will come to be employed by a number of defense lawyers in their quest to minimize the effects of CSA and by numerous pedophile groups i...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Foreword
• SAM Acknowledgements
• Part I
• Part II
• References
• Additional Resources
• Index