Male on Male Rape: The Hidden Toll of Stigma and Shame

Rape education professional and rape survivor Scarce makes a strong case here for the importance of knowledge and understanding for male victims of rape. This study for the presumably small sector of society directly affected by male-on-male rape does not cover assaults on boys and teenagers or female rape of males. Drawing on interviews he conducted with 24 male rape victims and other sources, the author points out the detrimental effects of homophobia in society at large and also of the association of rape predominantly with women, both among the general population and in rape crisis centers themselves. Though Scarce cites an estimated 360,000 male rapes in U.S. prisons annually, he offers little information on the prevalence of male-on-male rape outside prison walls, owing in part, he argues, to the reluctance of most men to report. This lack of documentation, in addition to a lack of rigor in his analysis, makes his book more a resource than a comprehensive study. With its useful bibliography and an appendix that outlines the rape laws in all 50 states, this book fills a gap in the information available on rape for survivors, their families and those who work with them. (Sept.)