Sexual Abuse of the Male

[Greg Crawford]

I was reading in the Newcastle Herald today of a court case, I think in Victoria, where a female school teacher had a sexual relationship with a 15 year old male student at her school. According to the newspaper report, the alarm had been sounded by the boy’s mother. However, her complaint has apparently alienated the boy from his mother and he has left home, despite stating that her suspicions were well-founded.   I don’t wish to comment on this particular case, but upon cases in general which involve sexual relationships between female adults and male minors. Males seem to have a different perception about being abused. I must admit to sympathy in this. When I was in the equivalent of Year 8 in high school, and riding a hormonal wave of sexuality, I used to sit up the back of my maths classroom. My young and pretty female maths teacher would sometimes come and stand behind me, lean against the back wall of the classroom, and run her fingers through my hair from behind me. Now she never made any sexual offers or requests, but, to be honest, they probably would have been accepted.   Intellectually, I can construe such actions, and such potential actions, as sexual harassment and sexual abuse; but something in my male psyche would stop me from ever making a complaint. I don’t think I am unusual as a male. Is this a male thing?   - Greg