”En riktig man ber inte om hjälp” – En kvalitativ studie om professionellas beskrivningar av några verksamheters stöd till män utsatta för sexuellt våld

Sammanfattning

This qualitative study examines how professionals describe support provided by selected support services for men who have been subjected to sexual violence and analyses how these descriptions can be understood in relation to norms of masculinity. The study is based on seven semi-structured interviews with professionals from different support services, including health care, social services, and low threshold support. The analysis shows that support for male survivors is shaped by organizational structures, professional recognition and the conditions under which men are able to narrate their experiences. The findings indicate that men’s sexual victimization may remain difficult to identify when clear routines, targeted questions, and referral pathways are lacking. The study also shows that shame, stigma, and masculine ideals of control, self-reliance, and invulnerability can make it difficult for men to understand themselves as victims and to seek help. Professional receptivity is therefore central. When professionals can ask specific questions, provide language for the experience, and receive men’s narratives without reinforcing shame, sexual violence can become possible to articulate, understand, and address. The study concludes that support for male survivors requires both organized support and norm-aware professional practice.