UNITED STATES
CNN
By Jessica Ravitz, CNN
updated 12:08 PM EST, Sun January 29, 2012
(CNN) — Advocates and therapists for survivors of male sex abuse say the recent scandals at Penn State and elsewhere may help men who were abused as children, and boys being abused today, step out of the shadows and get the support they deserve.
They also hope society can become better educated about the issue.
“The allegations have kick-started a public dialogue about sexual violence and the community’s responsibility,” says Jennifer Marsh, who directs hotlines at RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. “It’s a conversation we have to have and can’t shy away from.”
If increased Web traffic and calls to hotlines are any indication, the tide for men and boys may, in fact, be turning. …
Calls to the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) also have gone up, both locally and nationally, by 20% to 30% since the recent wave of stories broke, says David Clohessy, the organization’s executive director.
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