UNITED STATES
Washington Square News
Lena Rawley, Staff Columnist
October 10, 2014
Two high school teachers in Louisiana were arrested on Oct. 1 after they videotaped themselves having a threesome with a 16-year-old student. Although the boy claimed the act was consensual, he was under the age of consent in Louisiana. Accordingly, the case was deemed a sexual assault and both teachers now face felony charges.
However, a different perception of the case is circulating on the Internet. A few days after the incident occurred, VICE published a piece highlighting the disgusting comments made regarding the situation, which included, “Nice,” “Atta boy,” “Best.Teachers.Ever” and “Damn…lucky dude!” Had the case involved a teenage girl and two male teachers, it is likely that the public would have demanded blood, calling for justice for the victim and for the predators to spend their entire lives behind bars. However, because the student is male and the two teachers are female, some think it is appropriate to make Van Halen references and treat the case like the tired plot line of an adult film.
Unfortunately, this reaction usually happens when cases involve male victims. Demonstrated by the reaction to the Louisiana case, many in the public do not consider sexual assault against men to be serious. Despite this perception, the problem is prevalent. One in six men are sexually assaulted before they turn 18. Studies conducted from 1996 to 2005 have consistently shown that 14 to 16 percent of American men have experienced sexual assault. The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network reports that 10 percent of sexual assault victims in the United States are men.
Men who are sexually assaulted face issues similar to those faced by sexually assaulted women. They are just as likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, intimacy issues and suicidal thoughts. They are also just as likely to underachieve in work and academics.
Yet, male sexual assault is rarely discussed. A 1998 study found that the problem is “common, underreported, underrecognized and undertreated.”
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.