Male-on-Male Sexual Violence in Crisis Settings : A Scoping Review

Abstract

The main purpose of this thesis was to synthesize and critically evaluate the existing evidence base on male-on-male sexual violence in settings defined by crisis and humanitarian emergencies and to explore humanitarian actors' perceptions and responses to these “open secret” crimes. The primary objective was to map the evidence base—identifying the forms, prevalence patterns, and immediate and long-term health and psychosocial effects experienced by male survivors. The secondary objective was to evaluate the extent to which agencies, non-governmental organisations and health systems acknowledge and address the needs of male survivors, and to formulate evidence-informed recommendations for practice, policy, and future research.

Contextualising male sexual violence within the broader fields of global health and crisis management, this review responds to a historic neglect of men and boys in policy, legal frameworks, and humanitarian programming. Utilizing a scoping review research design based on Arksey and O'Malley's five-step framework and PRISMA-ScR extension, a search amongst academic databases such as PubMed, JSTOR, and ScienceDirect and humanitarian databases such as Women's Refugee Commission, and GBV Area of Responsibility) yielded hundreds of hits from which 25 met inclusion criteria (published 2000-2023; English; issued in relation to conflict-related sexual violence; male-focused). The collected data was systematically charted, thematically, and chronologically (covering awareness building in early years, 2000s; building an evidence base 2010-2015; and policy and practice focus 2016-2023) and addressed in each source using the QuADS tool to determine methodological rigor and quality reporting. Findings indicate that male-targeted sexual violence occurs across diverse conflict settings—ranging from anal rape, genital torture, public humiliation, to sexual enslavement—and may comprise up to one-third of reported conflict-related sexual assaults. Survivors face severe physical injuries, persistent psychological trauma (PTSD, depression, suicidality), and profound social stigma that perpetuates underreporting and isolation. Humanitarian responses have gradually evolved—from implicit neglect to the IASC’s 2015 inclusion of men and boys as “at-risk,” to the GBV AoR’s 2021 guidance note and emerging pilot interventions (peer-support groups, male-tailored clinical protocols)—yet practical implementation remains inconsistent.

The outcome of this thesis is a set of integrated recommendations and an adaptable framework for humanitarian practitioners, incorporating male-inclusive assessment tools, stigma-reduction strategies, confidential reporting mechanisms, multi-sectoral coordination protocols, and advocacy for legal reform. As a desk-based study, its shortcomings lie in its reliance on secondary data and data diversity and thus its inability to support full-scale meta-analysis. Further research is necessary to get accurate prevalence estimates, evaluate intervention efficacy among males, and develop culturally specific prevention policies with active involvement of men and boys as both survivors and advocates.