Who's less likely to believe child sex abuse claims: men or women? Why?

Question

A University of Oregon study has found that young men who have never been traumatized are the least likely population to believe a person's recounting of child sexual abuse.

The study -- published in the March issue of the journal Psychology of Women Quarterly -- also finds that males with high sexism beliefs also tend to believe that such incidents, if they happened at all, were not harmful to the victim.

Why does it matter? Jennifer Freyd, a UO professor of psychology and co-author of the new study, says when people don't believe victims, it discourages victims from speaking out and allows perpetrators to escape unpunished and possibly repeat such crimes.

The study compared men and women who had had their trust betrayed by an adult to those that had not. They found that men who had not had their trust betrayed by an adult were the least likely to believe that child sexual abuse happens, or that it affects the victim. Why do you think these men don't believe abuse victims?

Here's the article "Men Who Haven't Been Victims Less Likely To Believe Child Sex Abuse Claims" about the research study: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070213101053.htm

Actually, I was encouraged by this research that men who had had their trust betrayed by an adult would believe the child abuse claims. Therefore, there are men who believe children have been abused. I'm glad more men will believe survivors, since not only are girls abused but so are boys. Until both boys and girls can go to both men and women for help, sexual abusers will continue to victimize children. But I thought it was sad that the more sexist a man is, the less likely he'll believe a child was sexually abused. Those are the men I'm trying to understand!

Answer 1

I don't believe this is a gender issue.
Males and females very often respond to the news of child sexual abuse in a shockingly similar way.
I have a friend who had terrible, painful memories of her childhood sexual abuse (by her Dad) after many years of therapy.
She took the information to her her Mother, expecting a sympathetic, supportive response.
Her Mother's cold response was, "Well, I guess you never considered how your telling me this would make ME feel, did you?"
I cannot imagine having this kind of response to hearing my child, no matter their age, tell me this sort of news.
My friend was devastated and refused to work in therapy for several years.
Someone once said that in the US, child sexual abuse is the only crime that you can commit, but you cannot discuss.
No one wants to hear this news from a child, so instead, the hearer chooses denial, silencing or attacking of the victim in order to protect their own (hearer's) heart and mind from the knowledge of such an awful crime.
Good luck

Answer 2

You want a real answer from a male who has considered the subject?

My brother often talks about how men operate on a specific logic. If you apply it to this question, it makes a lot of sense.

Let's say that someone is never traumatized from sexual abuse as a child (a pretty typical situation). They therefore never recognize the experience, and formulate their logic around an existence without such abuse.

Now, because they don't understand the feelings that go along with such an experience, and BECAUSE those feelings have not impacted the development of said individual's logic, they become skeptical to claims of such trauma, applying their own understanding of emotional responses to the situation and thereby assuming the abused individuals are merely going "overboard."

We hypothesize that this is the same reason why psychopathic criminals can make certain decisions about murder or theft as being acceptable- because they operate on a strict logic that, while insane to "normal" individuals, is perfectly acceptable to the criminals.

I don't know if that makes sense, but I hope it provides some food for thought. If I can explain further, I will try.

Answer 3

I think there is a difference between not believing someone and simply not automatically assuming something is true just because someone says it is. Men tend to need more than just a person's word to fully believe something really happened. I would generally take someone at their word for something like this, but if I knew the person they accused I wouldn't simply cut off all contact with that person without some proof, or at least some really strong suspicion, let's just say that.

Answer 4

Good question.

I think it has to do with empathy and prejudice. There is still the idea that if someone abuses the other, especially a female. It is because the female was guilty of inducing uncontrollable responses from the male. Therefore so many cases where the raped woman is looked with scorn.

When it come to children, I really don't imagine why ANYONE can not believe it. Could it be because certain men, still carry these prejudices?

Or mostly, perhaps, a lack of information on the subject?

Perhaps this is the reason, a lack of information. I am sure the men that don't believe in these abuses tend to read and inform themselves in a limited way?

Just thinking out loud.

Being a victim of abuse as a child, I really can't understand why someone would not believe my point of view.

I wait with curiosity for more answers

Answer 5

That is exactly why you find more women in the fields of sociology and psychology! Men tend to want to make them shut up and give false diagnosis to further silence their cry for justice.

Well, someone should talk to some of the Lost Boys of the polygamist cult..they are abused and often maimed and kicked out of their own families by promiscuous older men.

The theory that it is "just" their imagination and an attempt through anger to take out unmittigated anger on those men has long since been overturned. It has it's roots in Freudian psychology, when Freud himself was a cocaine addict that humiliated and cheated hundreds of women, by denying that sexual abuse was taking place in affluent families in Europe. He attributed their charges to their gender and flights of fancy their minds conjured up.

Can Someone explain the admissions of Nambla? Case closed!

Answer 6

I think it's because men are less likely to believe everything they hear whereas women are usually more naive (speaking from my experiences).

I think a better question to ask (instead of pitting men and women versus each other) would be ''How can we encourage victims of child abuse to come forward?'' or ''Why do some people refuse to believe child abuse happens?''.

By the way, if you already know the answer to your question (that men are less likely to believe it and have evidence to support such a claim) why do you ask the question?

EDIT
Try finding other studies and see if men are always the most believing ones. I'm pretty sure you'll find that, in most surveys, women will usually believe someone's story more.

EDIT
Actually you DON'T find more women than men in psychology: http://www.jobfutures.ca/noc/4151p4.shtml
(Just look down at the bottom of the page. This is an official website of the Government of Canada.) I'd look for jobs in Sociology but I'm assuming it's the same.

EDIT
I'd also like to add that women are usually more compassionate and caring (whether it's a social construct or not is irrelevant) so they will try to sympathies with the so-called victim.

Answer 7

Having worked in a field where disclosures occur regularily it is my oppinion that most people do not respond well to disclosures of sexual abuse regardless of gender. A few weeks ago my 6 year old son told me about this boy who was recounting graphic details of sexual activity and I spoke to the teacher about my concerns that this child was being possibly abused either subjected to pornography etc. Her response was "what do you want me to do? and "do you want to do something about it" she was not even aware of the Australian laws of maditory notification. I have spoken to many sexual abuse victims who have told me they repeatedly tried to stop the abuse by telling people - religious teachers and teachers and neighbours and even their own mothers and they did nothing about it all, in fact one religious instructor covered her ears saying " I dont want to hear this". I dont think this is limited to men but rather that most people feel uncomfortable with disclosures - some choosing "not to get involved". It is beyond me that a woman would not want to help a sexual abuse victim but many women I have spoken to tend to adopt the view "its none of their business" and that its between the family!! One mother many yeras ago told the sexual abuse survivor "Yes you did tell me but I did not want to hear it!!!"

Also some men do not understand the effects of sexual violence simply because they dont understand the dynamics of consentual sex as oposed to sex that is used as a power tool.

I agree with Croa and her posting. The fact is that most people dont wnat to get involved. They tend to turn a blind eye to what is happening because its - unsettling, disconcerting, uncomfortable and confronting. The victim is often made to feel its their fault and that they are doing something wrong in telling somebody. While the perpertrator gets off scott free. I was awrae of this sexual abuser who bragged at the dining table of his convictions of incest being appropriate and a fathers "right". The mother who had young daughters offered more bread around and the children all who subjected to some abuse physical or sexual could not say anything. Ij fact this fellow was telling people that as head of the household it had certain perks - and all of this fellows work mates thought he was having a joke and yet dispite these indirect disclosures he was never held accountable but his children try as hard as they could, could not get anyone to listen. This problem occurs today. In my daughters childcare there is one lady and her young daughter who are obviously being abused - the father accompanies them and he is very abusive and yet no ones wants to help. No its definittely not about gender!!

Answer 8

Men will not accept the fact, although they would believe otherwise.

Answer 9

Why do you think these men don't believe abuse victims?

Basically

1. They can't identify with the victims
2. They aren't educated about the problem (lack of awareness)

Answer 10

I don't believe a word you just printed and neither should you. It is because people tend to believe everything they are told like children, and that is what is wrong with the world today, besides it takes much more than one study to make any kind of reasonable judgement on any subject! Have a great day!