What is rape, and to whom does it happen? Generally speaking, rape is a violent sexual act imposed on a nonconsenting partner that makes you question many things about yourself. Unfortunately the mythology usually surrounding rape is that it only happens to women. The fact is, rape does not only happen to women, but men as well. It is one of the most misunderstood of all crimes, and when the victim is male, understanding why it has happened, is one of the hardest things to comprehend. When I first learned about rape, I thought that it was something that only happened to women that was brought on by a male. Growing up, one doesn’t hear about male rape. It was unheard of. Granted it happened, but no one wanted to talk about it. The fact is, male rape is a lot more common than one would think. The thoughts and attitudes toward male rape are that “real men cannot be raped”, or that being raped turns the victim into a homosexual. The fact is, the majority of the rapists as well as victims are generally heterosexual. It is because of these attitudes which surround male rape with a feeling of total humiliation for the victim, that it is rare for a male rape victim to acknowledge the fact that he has been raped to his family or friends, much less to the police. This is one of the key reasons why male rape is not ever heard of, and is hidden by a curtain of silence. Like female survivors of sexual assault, male survivors experience fear, anger, and a feeling of no control. Men who have been raped also feel very ashamed, guilty, and embarrassed. It is not uncommon for a male rape victim to blame himself for the rape, believing that he in some way gave permission to the rapist. Male rape victims suffer a similar fear that female rape victim's face - that people will believe the myth that they may have enjoyed being raped. This is why male rape is one of the most under – reported acts of violence.Over the years, male rap...
