Rebuilding Trust: The Experiences of Male Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse in Intimate Relationships

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to shed light on the experiences of male survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) as they attempted to form and maintain intimate relationships in adulthood. While prior studies and survivor memoirs have suggested that CSA (as well as its psychological and physiological correlates) can have severe long-term implications on survivors’ ability to form and maintain intimate relationships, few have been published recently and even fewer have focused on outcomes specific to males. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyze data generated from transcripts of interviews with five participants recruited from support groups for male survivors of CSA. Participants are introduced to the reader via brief narratives that outline their journey making meaning out of their experience, and how it may have influenced their intimate relationships. The analyzed data was organized into three overarching themes; Protecting the Self, with the subthemes Trust and Vulnerability; Worth of the Self, with the subtheme Masculinity, and Healing the Self. Each theme describes a different aspect of participants’ experience as they found ways to overcome the unique challenges posed by their situations. Study results are discussed in the context of the current literature. Based on participant invocation, Attachment Theory is used as a lens through which data is examined. This study has important implications for professionals working with survivors and survivors’ romantic partners, as well as to help reduce the stigma and uncertainty faced every day by survivors themselves.