“It makes you less of a man”: The help-seeking experiences of emerging adult men who have experienced sexual violence and abuse by women

This qualitative study investigated the help-seeking experiences of emerging adult men (18-29 years) who had experienced sexual violence and abuse (SVA) by women. Five men from Aotearoa New Zealand participated in semi-structured interviews about their experiences. Interpretative phenomenological analysis identified three overarching themes that described the men’s help-seeking experiences after being victimised by women, namely: 1) Societal beliefs and understanding of SVA influence men’s help-seeking; 2) The impact of interpersonal relationships on men’s recognition and acceptance of SVA; 3) The need for responsive specialist support services. The findings contribute to understanding in an under- researched area of the help-seeking literature and demonstrate the impact of traditional masculine ideologies, gender expectations, and myths about SVA on young men’s help- seeking. Specifically, the men internalised traditional gender role ideologies, which hindered their ability to recognise and acknowledge their experiences as abusive. This in turn acted as a barrier to men overcoming the stigma associated with masculinity and seek help. Implications for policy, practice, and directions for future research are discussed with a focus on the need to overcome the harmful societal ideations about masculinity and provide men with the necessary support to seeking help and enhance their health and quality of life.