Thread by @rpmediang

Let's not forget that child abuse & sexual harassment can happen to any gender. A lot of our male population's memory of their early sexual encounters are by house workers, family members or family friends. And it's usually at an early age.
#SaturdayThoughts #saturdaymotivation

The sad fact and reality is most people do not take it serious because it is the male child.
#SaturdayThoughts #saturdaymotivation #SaturdayMorning

Does that mean that the general perception is that the male genetic makeup is so wired into sex that even at a very young age, they would not mind but would rather enjoy being exploited, sexually used & abused? Think about!
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Would you want your male kids, nephews, cousins & family members to go through this? Do not be deceived, rape, sexual molestation, abuse & assault affects everyone regardless of gender which usually result in extremely negative consequences. #SaturdayThoughts #saturdaymotivation

A lot of men who have been sexually molested and abused and have not come to terms and healed from it, grow up with
anger
depression
anxiety and fear
mental health difficulties
self blame
nightmares and insomnia
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flashbacks and invasive thoughts
suicidal thoughts and behaviour
numbness
sense of loss and grief
problems related to masculinity
confusion and problems related to sexual and gender identity
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questions and difficulties related to sexuality
difficulties with relationships, closeness and intimacy
mood swings
difficult feelings of guilt, shame or humiliation
helplessness, isolation and alienation
low self-esteem
#SaturdayThoughts #saturdaymotivation #SaturdayMorning

self doubt and diminished self belief
a sense of being inadequate as a man
sense of lost power, control and confidence in relation to manhood sexual problems
alcohol and/or drug dependencies
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a fear of also becoming an abuser
a fear that the sexual abuse has caused or will cause him to become homosexual (if the abuser was male)
developing paraphilias associated with the abuse
probable health concerns.
#SaturdayThoughts #saturdaymotivation #SaturdayMorning

Because of the general conditioning and expectations associated with being a man, even at a very young age, most men who have been sexually molested and abused as kids may not even recognize their sexual victimisation.
#SaturdayThoughts #saturdaymotivation #SaturdayMorning

Societal masculine gender expectations teach boys and men they can't be victims. They are supposed to be competitive, resilient, self reliant and independent but certainly not emotionally needy.
#SaturdayThoughts #saturdaymotivation #SaturdayMorning

'Real' men initiate sexual activity & want sex whenever it's offered, especially by women. For many men, these qualitues define masculinity. Consequently victims may assert they were not abused, were not hurt or were in charge of what happened.
#SaturdayThoughts #SaturdayMorning

For them acknowledging victimisation means admitting they're weak or 'not male'.
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This usually results in a pressure to prove their manhood by

physically becoming bigger, stronger and meaner by engaging in dangerous or violent behaviour

sexually having multiple sexual partners, showing they're always ready (or up) for sex and being sexually in control.

As we can see these effects are extremely ugly. They're not only painful for victims but also costly to our society. We therefore need to be extremely careful who we entrust our children to.
#SaturdayThoughts #saturdaymotivation #SaturdayMorning

The painful and sad reality is most under age sexual abuse are done by those you know and those close to you and that includes the female gender. A lot of perpetrators are female especially when it comes to male sexual abuse.
#SaturdayThoughts #saturdaymotivation #SaturdayMorning

Have conversations with your male kids, be open to whatever they have to say & encourage closeness. If they have concerns about anyone, do not ignore or shut them up but rather listen & take appropriate measures if warranted.
#SaturdayThoughts #SaturdayMotivation

We need to stop shaming and stigmatizing male sexual victims. We also need to stop acting like it's not relevant, important or prevalent. We are all human and no one deserves to be dehumanized regardless of their gender.
#SaturdayThoughts #saturdaymotivation #SaturdayMorning

We need to stop the silent culture surrounding rape, sexual molestation, sexual abuse and sexual assault. If you've been a victim of any of this or you know anyone that has been a victim, contact the S.T.E.R. Initiative @StandtoEndRape and Mirable Centre Nigeria @MirabelCentreNG