Trigger warning for discussion of rape.
I have recently emailed RAINN to ask about their support of male survivors and use of the NVAWS survey as opposed to another survey that may more accurately report the rate of abuse of men. The response went as follows:
Hi Ozymandias, Thank you for getting in touch regarding your blog post. I hope that we can help address your questions regarding our support of male survivors and use of statistical data.
RAINN’s work with Male Survivors
RAINN is committed to helping all victims and survivors of sexual violence, not just women. We work hard to ensure that male survivors are provided with the help and specialized resources that they deserve. For example, we’ve implemented inclusive language on our website, and provide specialized training to our National Sexual Assault Online Hotline (online.rainn.org) staff and volunteers on meeting the unique needs of male survivors. We mandate that the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) affiliate rape crisis centers adhere to a non-discrimination policy to ensure that men can receive services. We estimate that more than 100,000 men have received help through the National Sexual Assault Hotline since we started it.
We also created the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline (online.rainn.org), which provides help for those who prefer the web to the phone. About 9% of Online Hotline users are male.
RAINN also operates the 1in6 Online SupportLine, which provides targeted support for male survivors of child sexual abuse. And we’ve recently expanded the services we offer to survivors with the creation of the DoD Safe Helpline, which is operated by RAINN. The Safe Helpline provides support services to those in the military affected by sexual violence (a large percentage of whom are male, according to government studies).
RAINN has pushed national media to highlight the experiences of male survivors. We proudly worked with the Oprah Show on three episodes: “A Special Report: Raped by His Mother — A Victim Comes Forward,” featuring RAINN Speakers Bureau member, Gregg Milligan who was molested, raped, and prostituted by his mother:http://www.oprah.com/showinfo/Raped-by-His-Mother-A-Victim-Comes-Forward_2. We also partnered with the Oprah Show on the landmark 2 part series “200 Adult Men Who Were Molested Come Forward” with Tyler Perry: http://www.oprah.com/showinfo/A-Two-Day-Oprah-Show-Event-200-Men-Who-Were-Molested-Come-Forward_1
Statistical Data
We agree that NVAWS study has serious shortcomings and that its definition of rape is too restrictive to capture all crimes. Given those shortcomings, it likely under-counts the lifetime risk of sexual assault for men. However, it is the most reliable data we’ve been able to find, primarily because the sample size used in the study was significantly larger than almost all other surveys (8,000 men and 8,000 women). Also, the study used the same methodology for both men and women.
The dilemma we face is that we don’t have an alternate source of data for lifetime prevalence rates that is more trustworthy, with regards to sample size and methodology. Sample size is vitally important when attempting to measure sexual violence, since such a small portion of interviewees report having been victims.
The other main source of data that RAINN uses is from the National Crime Victimization Survey, which has a much larger sample size (68,665 people every six months in 2009). While this study also has its own significant shortcomings, it is a much preferable source of data. However, it measures only annual incidence, not lifetime risk. Therefore, it is not a substitute for NVAWS.
—>If you know of other surveys that have a broader definition of sexual violence, but still have an equal or better sample size and methodology than NVAWS, we are happy to evaluate them.
One of our biggest challenges, and frustrations, is the limited data that is available to inform our work. That forces us to make do with the flawed data that exists. However, while available studies may under-measure the extent of the problem, this does not effect the extent of our commitment to helping survivors — men, women and children. Every study shows that sexual violence is an enormous problem, and so we will continue to work very hard, as we have for 17 years, to help every survivor who asks for help; to educate the public about recovering from and preventing sexual violence; and to ensure that more perpetrators are brought to justice.
Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you for your support of survivors of sexual violence!
Best,
Katherine
This is great news and bad news. On one level, the number one organization relating to sexual violence and rape is not misandric! Which is one of those things I feel sad about having to be happy about.
On the other hand, however, this presents a major issue for masculists. We must campaign for a better study of rape and sexual assault among men– one that accounts for the most common kinds of rape of men, such as envelopment, not just penetration. Without data, we cannot know how many men might be suffering in silence.
*waves* new here. I just wanted to point out that there may also be a gender discrepancy in sexual assaults tied to the level of violence; most violent crimes in general tend to be committed by males (subject to its own discussion) and many popular and legal definitions of rape still require violence or the threat of force rather than ‘softer’ manipulation, alcohol or drugs. So there could be a gender discrepancy in *violent* sexual assaults that doesn’t exist in nonviolent sexual assaults.
Most male rapes in this country occur where there are no lifelines, where there aren’t people to call, and where the culture actively accepts them.
Look up prison rapes.
(remain convinced that part of the “no gays in military” is because of rapes/non-preferential m-m sexual contact — “if we pretend that nobody LIKES it, we all can DO it”)
@ mythago
Just because a charity does some work with male survivors, lets ignore the fact that they publish a verifiably incorrect statistic that further anormalizes, thus *traumatizes*, them.
@mythago: Greg Milligan works with RAINN, but the organization itself does not directly promote awareness about female rapists on its site or publicly. That is not to say RAINN is not concerned with the issue, only that it does not directly comment on it.
@figarophillips: The two recent prison rape studies showing that females commit the majority of prison rape.
Its standard practice for charities and non profits to promote the false reality that abuse is gendered by erasing female perpetrators.
Good grief, Jess. Because a charity in the UK behaves badly, let’s ignore all of the work RAINN does to assist male survivors and promote awareness of female perpetrators (at set forth in Ozy’s post) and accuse them of misandry because they need more disclaimers about their study?
Daran: Please do not take my poor spelling as a Freudian slip 🙂
Daran: It seems you’ve readed my post on RAINN more harshly than I intended. A failure to communicate effectively on my part. RAINN seem to be pretty fair and gender neutral in it’s approach and I’d wish they included some more information about the specific shortcominig of the study they cited on male victimization. Ass for the study and my criticism of it I did mean that it was poorly designed in regard of the aspect we’re discussing here: finding the rate of male victims of rape. Perhaps poorly designed implied a judgement on the methodology which hasn’t been up… Read more »
@ figarophillips “I suppose it’s more accurate to say that all the studies are flawed in their respective ways, but some more severely flawed than others and studies that produce results that deviate notably from results of past studies and years will raise my skepticism more than others.” The IDVS study doesn’t differ from other studies that use the CST2 methodology. It does differ significantly from studies *that don’t even measure forced envelopment.* Which are the ones you’re familiar with. The studies you’re familiar with do not measure forced envelopment. When you measure forced envelopment you get similar rates of… Read more »
Daran, I just saw your post after posting. Actually, I thought I already stated that I am assuming males perpetrators to be significantly more common; I tried to clarify the reasoning for this above. And also, stating my hesitance vis-a-vis the IDVS. I suppose it’s more accurate to say that all the studies are flawed in their respective ways, but some more severely flawed than others and studies that produce results that deviate notably from results of past studies and years will raise my skepticism more than others. I would like to better understand the criticisms from the other post… Read more »
Hmm, not quite following. @Tamen, I have specifically stated an assumption, but it is that the most common forms of rape involve a male perpetrator, not necessarily a female victim, and that they are significantly more common. This is based on some combination of prison crime studies, DOJ studies since way back when, other assorted studies and statistics read over the years, and the extent to which they are corroborated by studies and personal observations of gendered power dynamics, to answer in a nutshell. Also, please note that in my comment, I am assuming a complete reversal of the situation,… Read more »
figarophillips: …I somewhat doubt the questioning significantly distorts the ratio of female to male victims. If the most common forms of rape were female-on-male and female-on-female and other forms of rape were estimated to have substantially lower occurrences, a questionnaire that identified envelopment by female perpetrators would provide a decent if rough assessment of the ratio of male to female victims. It would not be a valid question from the perspective of a sociologist but might still give a decent estimate. Although you’ve made the inverted point, I understand your argument to be as follows: Premise: If the most common… Read more »
Tamen:
I wouldn’t say that the NVAWS is poorly designed. In some respects it is a very well-designed study. It has methodological problems, as do every study I have ever seen.
I’d rather we criticise the study (“such-and-such a methodology is likely to bias the result in such-and-such a way”) than judge it (“It’s poorly designed”. “It sucks”).
Similarly, (and responding to earlier comments by both Tamen and Jess) I’d rather we criticise RAINN (“Their presentation of statistics is likely to create a false impression”) than judge them (“They’re misandrist”. “They suck”).
@Figarophilips, estimates for all LGBT folk run from 1% to 3.5% of population. Filtering just for LBT women in the USA, the latter survey estimates 4 million (out of 308 million people), just 1.3%. No, I don’t think that’s going to have an appreciable impact, even if, as you suggest, assault rates in that population ran at 1.6x the rate for the general population.
It seems figrophillips doubt it because s/he already assumes that male-on-female rape are by far the most common form. That’s what I am forced to conclude since that’s the only way that altering the questioning to include “envelopment” would not change the result in any significant way. Basically it seems s/he is saying that as long as a study is confirming his/her previously held beliefs s/he doesn’t think it matters that it is poorly designed and the idea that the poor design doesn’t distort the result is not worth entertaining because that would break his/her already held beliefs.
@DrMindbeam.
Its standard practice for charities and non profits to promote the false reality that abuse is gendered by erasing female perpetrators. Here is the largest children’s charity in the UK doing it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKXVcUSBKH4
@figrophillips,
“Not saying that the NVA study has validity by virtue of asking the question, saying that I somewhat doubt the questioning significantly distorts the ratio of female to male victims.”
Yes, but why would you doubt that the questioning significantly distorts the ratio of male to female victims?
I’ve just presented evidence to you that omitting forced envelopment likely does significantly reduce the rate of reported male victimization.
Hey, Just saw this: “Has validity because it asks men and women the same question.” Not saying that the NVA study has validity by virtue of asking the question, saying that I somewhat doubt the questioning significantly distorts the ratio of female to male victims. If the most common forms of rape were female-on-male and female-on-female and other forms of rape were estimated to have substantially lower occurrences, a questionnaire that identified envelopment by female perpetrators would provide a decent if rough assessment of the ratio of male to female victims. It would not be a valid question from the… Read more »
@Cheradenine, I already acknowledged the impact of discrepancy in population size in my last paragraph; my question is more whether it is so significant that it is not in any manner mitigated by the discrepancy in rates. The study is named in the link I provided, though unfortunately only the abstract is available. The rest is behind a paywall. Maybe when I get on a university server I’ll see it. @Jared, I’m wondering if there is a discrepancy in the ways in which we conceive of queer populations? Perhaps it is that I work pretty regularly with queer groups, but… Read more »
RAINN are very careful and keep a pretty gender neutral language on their site so I wouldn’t say that they are giving the impression thast women are under some sort of gendered siege of sexual violence from men. But there is no denying that they’re are passing off the victimization rates of men and women as two equally valid numbers when they know they’re not because of the inherent shortcomings of the underlying study. I elect to believe that this oversight is just that and not intentional – if it were I would say it borders on misandrist. Hence it… Read more »
@ figarophillips “The only scenario in which the gap would be expected to widen relative to the reality is one in which the rate of female-on-male far outpaces the rate of female-on-female. I was under the impression though that it was actually the opposite, in which case the exclusion of female-led sexual abuse would actually narrow the gap.” This survey (which won’t be acceptable to RAINN because it isn’t of the general population, rather it’s of college students): * Almost 3% of men reported forced sex and 22% reported verbal coercion in a romantic relationship in the last year. Almost… Read more »
I just want to say :
Great work, Ozy.
@figarophillips: Do you think you could bring some of the discussion of the flaws in the study into the light in the talks you guys are having? Also: This remains confusing to me as it have always been my understanding has been that male-on-male and male-on-female rape are the most common forms of rape experienced by men and women. I believe this is strongly influenced by (a) the lack of academic attention brought to it, and (b) the strong pressure against men to report it or even admit that it can occur. @Jess: If RAINN are knowingly giving the false… Read more »
@Hugh Tipping:
Interesting idea. Perhaps we could suggest they note the limits of their study? I don’t see how that would hurt.
@Jess:
I reject this assertion and find your blanket use of the term “feminism” unpalatable.
@kaija: How much capital does it take? Could it be privately raised?
Fantastic response! 🙂
Ozy
Feminists won’t back lash as long the stats are 1 in 6 – 1 in 33. If they were to include sexual assaults perpetrated by women, and the bad behavior and victim hood was more or less spread across the genders,there would most certainly be backlash.
Jess, frankly, as a feminist who is trying to raise awareness of sexual assaults by women with the help of other feminists who are ALSO trying to raise awareness of sexual assaults by women, I am insulted by your statements about feminism.