Childhood Sexual Trauma in Gay Men

Summary

Social context is a crucial lens through which to see and understand the experience of gay men who have been sexually abused as children. Clinicians who recognize the complex interplay of forces within this context will be better able to serve their gay male sexual abuse survivor clients. Given the trauma inherent in a cultural context which stigmatizes, devalues, pathologizes and punishes homosexuality, the added trauma of childhood sexual abuse in effect exponentially intensifies the trauma and the task of healing. It is particularly important that clinicians assist clients to separate sexual abuse and its effects from sexual orientation. Ideally, the former comes to be seen as imposed from without due to another's pathology, and the latter as an intrinsically good and positive part of self that exists entirely apart from the former. The phenomenon of an “Imprinted Arousal Pattern” (IAP), common among sexual abuse survivors, induces the individual to continue to be eroticized by stimulation and circumstances that overtly or covertly resemble the abuse circumstances. Case illustrations are provided to aid the reader in understanding and assisting others to work through this dynamic.

Key Words:

• Childhood sexual abuse
• homophobia
• homosexuality
• imprinted arousal pattern
• sexual trauma
• social context