This fifth episode of the season on “Research and Considerations for Sexual Assault Cases” of the National Institute of Justice’s (NIJ’s) Just Science podcast series is an interview with Marya Simmons, founder and CEO of Shift in Notion Consulting, who discusses advocacy for male survivors of sexual assault.
Background information for the interview notes that one of the common misconceptions about sexual assault is that it is always a male perpetrator and a female victim; however, research indicates that males are also victims of sexual assault. Marya Simmons and others have focused much of their work on improving outcomes for sexual assault survivors, regardless of race, gender, age, or sexual orientation. In this podcast interview she discusses myths about sexual assault and best practices for supporting male survivors. She indicates for her research that male victims of sexual assault are often reluctant to report what happened to them to multiple strangers, family members, or friends. They fear being not believed, misjudged, or becoming an object of jokes or suspicion of a misrepresented sexual orientation. This makes it important that law enforcement and victim services be delivered with sensitivity, dignity, and respect. This includes recognizing and offering services related to the distinctive needs of and services for male victims of sexual assault.