Singular issues surrounding sexual abuse of boys
The “boy code.” That can of course signify varied things in given contexts, but many of our readers across California can likely intuit a very specific meaning to it when it is linked to the subject of child sexual abuse.
It means a male juvenile going mum. It means keeping lips pursed in the wake of being victimized by an adult male perpetrator for fear of being labeled as sullied or not man enough to resist. It means remaining silent following abuse by an adult female owing to a widely held view that a “normal” boy would appreciate the experience rather than finding it abhorrent to its core.
Here’s something to consider. The founder of a California-based advocacy group that assists sexual abuse victims states that all-too-common stereotyping across the country promotes a fallacious mindset among many people “that boys cannot be molested or raped.”
Of course they can, and thoughtful persons considering the matter know that such an outcome befalls young males with some regularity in all states across the country.
High-profile stories routinely emerge to drive home that fact. And sometimes they come with a twist, namely, details concerning the “relationship” that existed between an understandably impressionable younger male and an older female — often a teacher — who used pressure tactics and other manipulative strategies to perpetrate a sexual act.
And, clearly, there can never be a mistake regarding that: Behavior that is carried out with such a goal in mind is unlawful. It is a crime.
We will have a bit more to say about juvenile male sexual assault victims in our next blog post.
Serving clients throughout the Greater Los Angeles and Southern California area, we represent victims in a variety of civil litigation cases. If you or a loved one has been injured, turn to an experienced Los Angeles personal injury or sexual assault lawyer.
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