The following list of Myths & Facts is adapted from a presentation at the 5th International Conference on Incest and Related Problems, Biel, Switzerland, August 14, 1991.

For any male who has been sexually abused, becoming free of these myths is an essential part of the recovery process.

Myth #1 - Boys and men can't be victims.

Myth #2 - Most sexual abuse of boys is perpetrated by homosexual males.

Myth #3 - If a boy experiences sexual arousal or orgasm from abuse, this means he was a willing participant or enjoyed it.

Myth #4 - Boys are less traumatized by the abuse experience than girls.

Myth #5 - Boys abused by males are or will become homosexual.

Myth #6 - The "Vampire Syndrome" - that is, boys who are sexually abused, like the victims of Count Dracula, go on to "bite" or sexually abuse others.

Myth #7 - If the perpetrator is female, the boy or adolescent should consider himself fortunate to have been initiated into heterosexual activity.

Believing these myths is dangerous and damaging. So long as sexually abused males believe these myths they reinforce the power of another devastating myth that all abused children struggle with: that it was their fault.

It is never the fault of the child in a sexual situation - though perpetrators can be quite skilled at getting their victims to believe these myths and take on responsibility that is always and only their own.

Please see:
Male Sexual Victimization Myths & Facts
(from MaleSurvivor.org)