JOE speaks to Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop, CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre about male rape and sexual abuse

Ellen O'Malley-Dunlop tells JOE about the levels of male rape and sexual abuse and how victims can get help.

Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop was appointed CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) in May 2006. She is a Psychotherapist and Group Analyst by profession and is a former Chairperson of the Irish Council for Psychotherapy. She was a founder member and Director of the Irish Institute for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and for 15 years worked on the Masters programme in Trinity College Dublin in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. She was a member of the Task Force for the New Child and Family Agency.

JOE: Ellen, tell us how big an issue male rape and sexual abuse is in Ireland?

Ellen: Being a victim of any kind of crime can be difficult, but rape and sexual assault are particularly distressing crimes for their victim and the effects can be long lasting. Men can find this type of attack difficult to deal with because it is widely, but wrongly, thought of as a crime that only affects women. Many men feel ashamed or embarrassed because of this. The publication of the Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland (SAVI) Report 2002 told us that 1 in 6 men experienced sexual abuse in childhood, 1 in 10 men experienced sexual abuse as an adult and over a quarter of men (28%) experienced some form of sexual abuse in their lifetime.

JOE: How many men have you had reporting incidents to Dublin Rape Crisis Centre in the last 12 months?

Ellen: In 2012, 17.05% of the callers to the National 24 Hour Helpline were male, and 11.49% of our clients for individual counseling were male.

JOE: Is the number increasing or decreasing?

Ellen: Over the past 5 years, the male callers on the line have increased from 14% in 2008 to 17.05% in 2012, with some slight fluctuations in the intervening years. In that same time period, the male clients have decreased slightly from 12.77% in 2008 to 11.49% in 2012, again with some minor fluctuations in the years in-between.

JOE: Men are known to be more reluctant to report these types of crimes than women, can you explain why?

Ellen: Male victims of rape and sexual assault may feel ashamed because they were overpowered or dominated, and shame may contribute to their feelings of isolation and a hesitation to seek professional help. They may feel a sense of self-blame at the idea that they could not protect themselves from an attack, even if the attack was pre-meditated, carried out while they were asleep or otherwise incapacitated , or consisted of a number of perpetrators.

Rape and sexual assault often lead male victims to question their ability to be what they perceive as a "man" and to question their masculinity as a whole. This can be especially true if the victim involuntarily experiences an erection during the rape. However, such reactions can be the result of fear and stress, as well as the stimulation of the assault. Male victims of rape and sexual assault should always remember that the assault was an act of violence and not one of a sexual nature. The DRCC’s helpline counselors and face to face therapists have an understanding of the issues facing men dealing with these issues and will help them to understand and deal with the impact and effects of the sexual assault or rape, in a non-judgmental and empathic manner.

JOE: In your experience, if that many cases are reported, how many do you estimate go unreported every year?

Ellen: The 2002 SAVI Report surveyed over 3,100 adults, both men and women and 47% of them, almost 600 who disclosed their experiences of sexual violence, had never previously disclosed that abuse to anyone before SAVI. So we know that this type of crime goes unreported, though we cannot accurately estimate the exact number of unreported cases per year.

JOE: What advice do you have for any male out there who has been abused or raped?

Ellen: It is really important to be medically checked out. Even if you have no symptoms, a check-up for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is a sensible precaution from a personal health point of view. It is really advisable to access support, rather than trying to manage alone. Using the National Helpline can assist male callers in locating support and counselling services in their own local areas. Only the individual themselves can decide whether or not to report the assault to the Gardai. But If someone isn’t sure what to do, they can talk on the National 24 Hour Helpline about what it would mean for them and what their options are.

JOE: What services are available?

Ellen: Here's what's out there if you are the victim of rape or sexual abuse

The 24-Hr National Helpline 1800 778888 provides support and information for victims of rape, sexual assault and childhood sexual abuse

Individual Counselling: Appointments are set up through the contacting the National 24 Hour Helpline.

Accompaniment, support and information is provided at the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) in the Rotunda Hospital, by our SATU Support Personnel, for those who have reported the assault to the Gardai and are attending for a forensic medical examination,

Accompaniment to Garda Stations to make a statement;

Accompaniment to Court for the duration of a court case.

JOE: How confidential are they?

Ellen: The 24-Hour National Helpline is a confidential service. Obviously, those accessing our one-to-one counselling and/or accompaniment services would have to provide us with their contact details. When people ring the Helpline to arrange face to face counseling appointments, confidentiality will be explained as well as some limitations to confidentiality.

JOE: What are the ways male victims of rape or sexual abuse can contact you?

Ellen: 24-hours a day, 365 days a year there is always someone available on our Helpline 1800 778888 to listen, support and provide information to everyone who calls. If a male caller wants to make an appointment to see one of our psychotherapists they can call 1800 778888 anytime between 8am and 7pm to discuss making that appointment. While we do have a Website, E-mail, Twitter and Facebook accounts, due to the nature of our work and issues of confidentiality, we do not respond in detail to individual emails or tweets but we will always be available at the end of the Helpline.

The DRCC is currently running a National Awareness Raising Campaign with the support of funding from Cosc (The National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence) displaying the National 24-Hour Helpline number 1800 77 88 88 as well as the helpline numbers for the 15 other Rape Crisis Centres.

The National 24-Hour Helpline can be reached at 1800 77 88 88 or you can check out the DRCC’s website here. For information on your local Rape Crisis Centre please click on the following link.