Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39727222›Full record

ArticleJournal of interpersonal violence2026

Seeking Support: The Voice of Young Men Who Have Experienced Sexual Harm During Their Life Course.

Tess Patterson, Linda Hobbs, Gareth J Treharne, Louise Dixon, Alannah Corson Keogh, Melanie Beres

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of interpersonal violence, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Tess PattersonUniversity of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Linda HobbsUniversity of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.ORCID 0000-0002-4214-9829
Gareth J TreharneUniversity of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Louise DixonGlasgow Caledonian University, UK.
Alannah Corson KeoghUniversity of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Melanie BeresUniversity of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The sexual abuse and assault of boys and men is not uncommon, and seeking support is useful in reducing negative outcomes. However, male survivors are less likely than women to seek support. Gendered norms and myths persist with several gender-specific barriers to seeking support existing for men. The present study is guided by three research questions: (1) What are men's support needs in relation to their experience of sexual harm? (2) What are men's experiences of seeking support in relation to their experience of sexual harm? (3) What are the barriers that hinder men from seeking support? Interviews were conducted with 14 men (19-37 years old) attending one of two universities in New Zealand, who had experienced sexual harm. The interviews included a discussion of the men's experiences of seeking support and were conducted as part of two broader projects. The young men experienced a complex and multifaceted journey in seeking support and described a range of informal and formal avenues that they had reached out to. Three prominent needs were highlighted: (1) increased awareness of male survivors, (2) a need for clarity around formal support services, and (3) a need for a diverse range of support modalities. The men described a variety of barriers encountered, including individual-level barriers such as difficulties in recognizing their experiences as sexual harm, a reluctance to acknowledge a need for support, preconceived notions about what seeking help might be like, as well as several overarching social and contextual influences such as living situations, cultural norms, religious beliefs, and family dynamics. These findings underscore the need for a holistic approach to supporting male survivors that addresses gender norms and myths about male survivors, acknowledges the diversity among male survivors, and addresses both individual-level and broader systemic barriers to support seeking by young men who have experienced sexual harm.

Indexed as

Help-Seeking BehaviorPatient Acceptance of Health CareSex OffensesSocial SupportSurvivorsAdultHumansMaleNew ZealandYoung Adultmale survivors of sexual abusesexual abuse of mensexual assault of mensexual harm of men

Identifiers

PMID39727222
PMCPMC12662822

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.