At Moray Rape Crisis we support adults and young people, aged 11 and over, of any gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, and religious and cultural background. This includes male survivors.

Our service is fully inclusive of male survivors. Whether something has happened recently or in the past, we can support you. We understand that everyone’s experience is different and men may experience barriers to accessing support. Many men may worry about not being listened to or not being taken seriously when they tell someone what happened to them. We will listen to you, believe you, and treat you with respect.

Anyone can experience sexual violence.

Sexual violence affects men in different ways and the impacts can be wide-ranging. Male survivors may experience symptoms of trauma, or feel anxious, angry, confused, ashamed, isolated, depressed or suicidal.

There can be an assumption in society that ‘real’ men cannot be raped or abused, as they should be able to defend themselves; however people react involuntarily to danger, attack, fear or threat. This is the flight, freeze or fight response (a bodily response to a traumatic event), and people cannot control how they react in situations like this; it’s the body trying to protect itself. Not fighting or running away does not mean you let it happen. Not remembering what happened does not mean it didn’t happen. We have more information about trauma here.

Sexual violence happens because of who the abuser is, not who you are. Some male survivors may question whether the sexual violence they experienced has had an impact on their sexual orientation, or feel uncomfortable or uncertain about their sexual identity. Some trans men may find that their experience of sexual violence increases their dysphoria, or impacts on how they feel about their transition or gender identity. Being sexually abused has nothing to do with your sexual orientation or gender identity.

If you have experienced sexual violence, you are not to blame. The person who harmed you is responsible.

WHAT IS SEXUAL VIOLENCE?

Sexual violence means any form of unwanted sexual contact. You may hear different words for the varying forms of sexual violence such as rape, sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse or sexual harassment. Other forms of sexual violence include stalking, sexual exploitation, forced marriage, image based abuse and organised and ritual abuse.

The diagram here shows a number of the different forms of sexual violence.

Everyone is affected differently by sexual violence. There is no right or wrong way to feel. How you feel, and what you want to do, depend on your own experience.

The impacts of sexual abuse experienced by people are often far-reaching across all aspects of their lives, including emotional, mental and physical health, social and family relationships, and education and employment.

You can find out more about sexual violence here. Plus, Rape Crisis Scotland answers some of the FAQs about sexual violence here.

HOW TO REFER TO US

If you are a man affected by sexual violence, you are not alone. Moray Rape Crisis is a free & confidential service. We will not tell you what to do or judge your actions. We will listen to what you say, believe you and treat you with respect.

It is possible to heal from sexual violence. We can help with this.

You can contact us for support for yourself or for someone else in your family or someone you know. You can also ask an agency to refer you. Our referral form is in English, Polish & Easy Read and you can download it here in English, Polish & Easy Read.

Our normal office hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

• Call: 01343 550 407
• Email: contact@morayrapecrisis.scot

Other Useful Contacts

You can also contact the Rape Crisis Scotland National Helpline, each day from 5pm to midnight:

Call: 08088 01 03 02
Text*: 07537 410 027 (*mobile number may appear on your bill)
Email: support@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk
Webchat: www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk

Please see here for additional information and resources for male survivors from Rape Crisis Scotland.

If something has happened recently, you can contact the Sexual Assault Response Coordination Service (SARCS). This is an NHS service for anyone aged 16 and over which can offer healthcare and support after an assault. If you are unsure whether you want to report to the police, the SARCS service may be able to arrange for you to have a forensic medical examination without reporting to the police. You can self-refer by phoning 0800 148 88 88 (open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). You can find out more information at www.nhsinform.scot/sarcs More information in Polish can be found here.

Survivors UK are a UK-based charity supporting male survivors of sexual abuse. Their website has lots of information and helpful advice. They also run the National Male Survivors Online Helpline for men, boys and non-binary people who have experienced sexual abuse at any time in their lives. You can contact them by webchat or SMS 020 3322 186 from 12pm (midday) - 8pm each day.

You can also access a helpful resource for male survivors here. Plus, they answer some of the commonly asked questions here.

Galop is the LGBT+ anti-abuse charity. You can contact their helplines using the contact details below:

National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0800 999 5428
LGBT+ Hate Crime Helpline: 0207 704 2040
National Conversion Therapy Helpline: 0800 130 3335
Email: help@galop.org.uk | Website