Autobiographical interviews with 26 adult male survivors of
childhood sexual abuse were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and
content analyzed to identify common psychological
themes. Approximately equal numbers of men were abused by male and
female perpetrators, almost half came from disrupted or violent homes
and a majority had a history of substance abuse. Fifteen psychological
themes were identified: Anger, Betrayal, Fear, Homosexuality Issues,
Helplessness, Isolation and Alienation, Legitimacy, Loss, Masculinity
Issues, Negative Childhood Peer Relations, Negative Schemas about
People, Negative Schemas about the Self, Problems with Sexuality, Self
Blame/Guilt and Shame/Humiliation. The themes are discussed and
illustrated with examples drawn from the transcripts.