Investigating and Prosecuting Cases of Child Sexual Abuse When the Victim Is Male

Abstract

The Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) study found that approximately one out of six men were sexually abused as children. Unfortunately, most sexually abused boys will never make an outcry during childhood and, even if abuse is discovered, investigators and prosecutors will face barriers that impede their ability to protect these children. This article explores the research on the sexual abuse of boys and offers concrete suggestions for conducting forensic interviews with these children, investigating crimes against boys, and presenting these cases to a jury. This is done, in part, through a discussion of a hypothetical case study that illustrates the challenges of responding to crimes against boys.

Description

Keywords

child sexual abuse, case study, male victims, prosecution, disclosure

Citation

Vieth, V. I., Farrell, R., Johnson, R., Mackey, T., Dahl, C., Nolan, K., Peters, R. J., & Counsil, T. (2022). Investigating and Prosecuting Cases of Child Sexual Abuse When the Victim Is Male. Zero Abuse Project.

DOI