Sexual Abuse of Boys
In comparison to current knowledge regarding the sexual abuse of women and girls, relatively little is known about the sexual abuse of boys. Global studies suggest anywhere from 3% to 40% of all males experience some form of sexual abuse. However, the sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of boys is believed to be far more widespread than currently reported due to cultural stigmas and taboos surrounding men who have sex with men, pedophilia and sex with boys in general. The hidden nature of this problem means sexually abused boys receive little or no help in overcoming their trauma.
Focus on Cambodia...
In 2008, the first research on the sexual abuse of boys in Cambodia was released by World Vision and Hagar International. “I Never Thought It Could Happen to Boys” revealed that an estimated 200,000 to 2.5 million survivors of male sexual abuse are likely to be living in Cambodia. This research was a catalyst for the development of a curriculum to train caregivers of boys, which began its pilot phase in August 2009.
