Community education and raising awareness of male sexual abuse and sexual assault is a vital part of our work. It involves working towards a society in which it is commonly accepted that:

• Approximately 1 in 6 males are sexually abused before the age of 16.
• Over 30% of confirmed reports of child sexual abuse involve male victims.
• 5.5% of men reported experiencing sexual violence after the age of 15 (compared to 19% of women).

For more information and references please visit our page on Male sexual abuse and sexual assault statistics.

Lack of awareness and acceptance of male sexual abuse and assault can explain why men are even less likely to report these crimes than females. What society tells us about being a man pretty much actively deters men and boys from coming forward. This not only makes it very difficult to estimate the number of men and boys who are being assaulted and abused, but also perpetuates the cycle of silence.

Ending the silence means men can feel less alone. Ending the silence means less fear ‐ more confidence ‐ in reporting sexual abuse. Ending the silence means more accurate data, more effective strategies, and better models of prevention and support.

Community education

Below is some of the work Living Well and other groups have done in the area of community education for male sexual abuse and male sexual assault. Educating the community and increasing male sexual abuse awareness through campaigns, competitions, activism and publications is just one of the many ways that we can all tackle these troubling issues. Get involved!

• 1BlueString
• Audio & podcasts
• Gallery of Inspirational Posters
• Living Well awareness campaigns
  • Postcards 2010
• Multilingual posters
• No More Domestic Violence
• October is Sexual Violence Awareness Month
• Oprah: 200 Men speak out
• Poster competitions
  • Let’s talk… Public awareness posters
  • Let’s talk… competition results
  • Original poster competition
  • 2011 competition entries
  • 2011 competition results
• Stop It Now!
• Videos

Partner with us!

If you have any ideas about what more we could do, or would like to partner with us in a project, campaign or program, please contact us to start a conversation. Many of the above campaigns could never have happened without community involvement. So we are always open to new ideas, feedback, suggestions and partnerships!