While statistics tell us that one in six men will experience sexual violence in their lifetime, the silent reality of male rape reveals a pervasive crisis hidden by stigma and societal misconceptions.
Key Takeaways
- According to the CDC's National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) 2010-2012, 1 in 6 U.S. men (approximately 16.3%) experienced completed or attempted rape through physical force, violence, or incapacitation during their lifetime.
- NISVS data shows that 1 in 71 U.S. men (1.4%) reported being made to penetrate someone else (a form of rape) in the past 12 months prior to the 2010-2012 survey.
- The CDC estimates that 2.8 million U.S. men have been raped involving penetration by another man at some point in their lives based on lifetime prevalence data from 2010-2012.
- NISVS 2010-2012 data shows that 28.6% of male victims were raped by an intimate partner.
- Among U.S. male rape victims, 42.2% were aged 11-17 at first victimization per CDC NISVS.
- 1in6.org: Gay and bisexual men 2-4 times more likely to experience rape than straight men.
- CDC NISVS 2010-2012: 79% of male rape perpetrators were male.
- RAINN statistics: 93% of male rape victims report male perpetrators.
- BJS PREA 2020: 70% of prison rapes on males by other male inmates.
- CDC NISVS: Only 10% of male victims report to police, per victim surveys.
- RAINN: Male victims 90% do not report rape to law enforcement.
- BJS NCVS 2021: 78% of male rape/sexual assaults not reported to police.
- NISVS 2010-2012: Male victims 35% PTSD rate post-rape.
- RAINN: Male rape survivors 3x suicide attempt risk.
- BJS PREA 2020: Victimized male inmates 10x injury risk.
Male rape statistics reveal a significant but often overlooked public health crisis.
Consequences and Outcomes
- NISVS 2010-2012: Male victims 35% PTSD rate post-rape.
- RAINN: Male rape survivors 3x suicide attempt risk.
- BJS PREA 2020: Victimized male inmates 10x injury risk.
- 1in6.org: 50% male survivors substance abuse disorders.
- CDC NISVS: 27% male victims alcohol problems lifetime.
- NSVRC: Male victims 40% depression rates.
- UK ONS 2020: Male victims 22% long-term disability from assaults.
- WHO 2021: Male rape survivors HIV risk 15% higher in some regions.
- ABS 2016: 31% male victims medicated for mental health post-assault.
- FRA 2014: EU male victims 25% relationship breakdowns.
- RAINN military: 37% male vets PTSD from MST.
- BJS 2018: Male jail victims 15% self-harm increase.
- 1in6.org: 70% male survivors sexual dysfunction.
- ONS 2022: 18% male victims job loss post-assault.
- CDC YRBS 2019: Raped boys 4x suicide consideration.
- UK MoJ 2021: Prison male victims 20% re-victimized.
- NISVS: Male victims 22% chronic health issues.
- StatCan 2019: 28% Canadian male victims therapy seekers.
- PREA 2022: 12% male victims transferred for safety.
- RAINN campus: Male survivors 30% dropout rate.
- WHO 2022: Male survivors 45% anxiety disorders LMICs.
- NSVRC: 65% male victims trust issues lifelong.
- BJS NCVS 2021: Male victims 25% economic loss >$10k.
- CDC 2022: 33% male victims obesity link post-trauma.
- 1in6.org: 40% divorce rate among married male survivors.
- ONS CSEW: 16% male victims homelessness risk increase.
- NISVS detailed: 18% male victims STDs from rape.
Consequences and Outcomes Interpretation
Beyond the immediate horror, male rape survivors are often sentenced to a devastating and lifelong collateral damage of PTSD, addiction, economic ruin, and shattered relationships.
Perpetrator Profiles
- CDC NISVS 2010-2012: 79% of male rape perpetrators were male.
- RAINN statistics: 93% of male rape victims report male perpetrators.
- BJS PREA 2020: 70% of prison rapes on males by other male inmates.
- 1in6.org: For adult male victims, 86% perpetrators known, mostly male.
- UK ONS CSEW 2020: 91% of male sexual assault perpetrators male.
- NISVS: Among male victims of made-to-penetrate, 52.4% perpetrators female, but 47.6% male.
- NSVRC military data: 81% male-on-male assaults in armed forces.
- BJS NCVS 2019: 89% of male rape offenders male.
- WHO 2021 conflict zones: 95% male perpetrators against male victims.
- ABS 2016: 82% male perpetrators against male victims in Australia.
- FRA EU 2014: 88% of male victims report male acquaintances as perpetrators.
- UK MoJ 2021: Prison staff perpetrators 25% male-on-male.
- RAINN campus: 90% male perpetrators against male students.
- CDC YRBS 2019: 75% of boy victims report male peers/adults.
- PREA 2022: Inmate perpetrators average age 28 for male victims.
- 1in6.org: Childhood male abusers 90% male against boys.
- ONS 2022: 92% male perpetrators in recent male victimizations.
- BJS 2018 jails: 82% male-on-male by inmates.
- NISVS detailed: 64.8% male perpetrators were strangers to male victims.
- StatCan 2019: 85% male perpetrators against Canadian men.
- CDC 2022: Perpetrators often family for 12% male victims.
- RAINN: Repeat offenders 35% of male perpetrator cases.
- WHO 2022 LMICs: Armed groups 98% male perpetrators.
- NISVS: Intimate partner male perpetrators 22% against men.
- NSVRC: 60% authority figures (coaches etc.) male perpetrators on boys.
Perpetrator Profiles Interpretation
The overwhelming and consistent data across multiple studies shows that when men are raped, it is almost always other men who are the perpetrators, starkly dispelling the myth that male sexual victimization is primarily a female crime and highlighting a critical, gendered pattern of violence within masculinity itself.
Prevalence and Incidence
- According to the CDC's National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) 2010-2012, 1 in 6 U.S. men (approximately 16.3%) experienced completed or attempted rape through physical force, violence, or incapacitation during their lifetime.
- NISVS data shows that 1 in 71 U.S. men (1.4%) reported being made to penetrate someone else (a form of rape) in the past 12 months prior to the 2010-2012 survey.
- The CDC estimates that 2.8 million U.S. men have been raped involving penetration by another man at some point in their lives based on lifetime prevalence data from 2010-2012.
- RAINN reports that every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted, with men comprising about 10% of rape victims annually, equating to roughly 52,000 male victims per year in recent estimates.
- 1in6.org cites that 1 in 6 American men have been raped or experienced attempted rape, with detailed breakdowns showing higher rates among certain demographics.
- Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) 2017-2018 indicates that males accounted for 18% of rape/sexual assault victims aged 12 or older.
- UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) 2020 shows 138,000 men experienced sexual assault including rape annually.
- WHO World Report on Violence and Health (2021 update) estimates global lifetime prevalence of rape among men at 5-10% in conflict zones.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics Personal Safety Survey 2016 reports 1.1% of men aged 15+ experienced sexual violence since age 15.
- NSVRC analysis of NISVS data reveals 24.5% of male rape victims experienced multiple incidents in their lifetime.
- BJS Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) annual report 2020 shows 4.0% of state prison inmates (mostly male) reported sexual victimization by other inmates.
- NISVS 2016/2017 update: 1.3% of U.S. men reported rape victimization in the past 12 months.
- 1in6.org references a study where 23% of men reported childhood sexual abuse leading to adult rape experiences.
- European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) 2014 survey: 3% of men in EU reported physical force rape experiences lifetime.
- Canadian General Social Survey 2019: 4% of men reported sexual assault since age 15, including rape.
- NISVS data detailed: Among male victims, 79% experienced rape before age 25.
- RAINN 2023: Approximately 3% of male college students report attempted or completed rape.
- BJS 2018: In jails, 3.2% of male inmates reported inmate-on-inmate rape.
- WHO 2022: In 12 low/middle-income countries, male rape prevalence averages 6.2%.
- UK Ministry of Justice 2021: 15% rise in reported male rape victims from 2019-2020.
- NISVS: Lifetime made-to-penetrate for men: 5.9%.
- 1in6.org: 1 in 33 U.S. men raped as adults.
- CDC YRBS 2019: 6.3% of high school boys reported forced sex.
- ONS CSEW 2022: 1.2% men sexual assault in past year.
- BJS NCVS 2021: Males 21% of rape victims aged 12+.
- FRA EU 2021 update: 5% men report non-consensual sex lifetime.
- ABS 2021: 0.9% men past year sexual violence.
- NSVRC: 10-15% male military rape victims.
- PREA 2022: 3.7% federal prison males victimized.
- NISVS 2022 brief: 1.7% men past 12 months contact sexual violence.
Prevalence and Incidence Interpretation
This grim data shatters the myth of invulnerability, revealing that male victims of rape are not a statistical anomaly but a silenced multitude, with one in six American men carrying this trauma.
Underreporting and Barriers
- CDC NISVS: Only 10% of male victims report to police, per victim surveys.
- RAINN: Male victims 90% do not report rape to law enforcement.
- BJS NCVS 2021: 78% of male rape/sexual assaults not reported to police.
- 1in6.org: 96% of male child sexual abuse never reported.
- UK ONS 2020: Male sexual assault reporting rate 13.4%.
- PREA data 2020: Only 25% prison male victims report incidents.
- NSVRC: Fear of not being believed 67% barrier for male victims.
- WHO 2021: Global underreporting by men estimated at 90-95%.
- ABS 2016: 8% of male victims reported to police in Australia.
- FRA EU 2014: 94% male victims never contact authorities.
- RAINN military: 80% male service members don't report.
- BJS jails 2018: 40% substantiated but only 10% initially reported.
- 1in6.org: Shame prevents 70% adult male reporting.
- ONS 2022: Male reporting up 20% but still under 15%.
- CDC YRBS 2019: 92% teen boys never tell adult about forced sex.
- UK MoJ 2021: Prison underreporting 75% due to retaliation fear.
- NISVS: Masculinity norms barrier for 55% men.
- StatCan 2019: 91% Canadian men no police report.
- PREA 2022: Anonymous reporting increases male disclosures by 30%.
- RAINN campus: 95% male students no report.
- WHO 2022: Cultural stigma 85% barrier in LMICs for men.
- NSVRC: Lack of male services 62% reason not to report.
- BJS NCVS 2019: Police skepticism cited by 45% unreported male cases.
- CDC 2022: Online reporting could boost male reports 40%.
- 1in6.org: 5-10 year delay in reporting common for 80% men.
- ONS CSEW: Alcohol involvement leads to 50% non-reporting by men.
Underreporting and Barriers Interpretation
This bleak chorus of statistics sings a painfully clear tune: for male victims, the path to justice is obstructed by a nearly universal wall of shame, stigma, and systemic disbelief, making their suffering one of society's most silenced and solitary experiences.
Victim Demographics
- NISVS 2010-2012 data shows that 28.6% of male victims were raped by an intimate partner.
- Among U.S. male rape victims, 42.2% were aged 11-17 at first victimization per CDC NISVS.
- 1in6.org: Gay and bisexual men 2-4 times more likely to experience rape than straight men.
- BJS NCVS 2019: Male victims aged 18-24 highest rate at 2.1 per 1,000.
- RAINN: Native American/Alaska Native men 2.2x rape victimization rate of white men.
- NISVS: 50.6% of male rape victims were Caucasian, 18.9% African American.
- UK ONS 2020: Male victims under 25: 55% of total male sexual assaults.
- 1in6.org: Men with disabilities 4x more likely to be raped.
- CDC NISVS: 14.1% Hispanic men lifetime rape prevalence vs. 12.5% non-Hispanic white.
- BJS PREA 2018: White male inmates 4.7% victimization rate vs. 3.3% Black.
- RAINN college stats: Fraternity men 5x more likely than non-frat.
- NISVS: Urban male victims 18.2% lifetime vs. rural 13.4%.
- WHO 2021: Refugee men 12% rape prevalence, higher among unaccompanied minors.
- ABS 2016: Indigenous Australian men 3.7% sexual violence since 15 vs. 0.9% non-Indigenous.
- NSVRC military: Transgender men 28% sexual assault rate.
- UK MoJ 2021: Male victims in prison: 70% under 30 years old.
- CDC YRBS 2019: Gay/bisexual/uncertain boys 12% forced sex vs. 3% straight.
- BJS NCVS 2021: Poor males highest victimization rate 3.5 per 1,000.
- FRA 2014: Migrant men in EU 8% rape reports vs. 2% natives.
- 1in6.org: Alcoholics/addicts 40% higher rape victimization.
- NISVS: Married men 10.2% lifetime vs. never married 22.4%.
- RAINN: Homeless men 25% annual sexual assault rate.
- PREA 2022: Gay male inmates 12.5% victimization.
- ONS 2022: Disabled men 2.5% past year vs. 0.8% non-disabled.
- CDC 2022: Low-income men (<$25k) 20.1% lifetime rape.
- StatCan 2019: Immigrant men 5.2% vs. 3.1% Canadian-born.
- NISVS: 35.4% of male victims identified as bisexual.
Victim Demographics Interpretation
The data paints a damningly consistent portrait of male sexual violence, revealing that it is not a random tragedy but a targeted epidemic where young, poor, LGBTQ+, disabled, and marginalized men bear the brunt of a hidden crisis.
Sources & References
- Reference 1CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 2RAINNrainn.orgVisit source
- Reference 31IN61in6.orgVisit source
- Reference 4BJSbjs.ojp.govVisit source
- Reference 5ONSons.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 6WHOwho.intVisit source
- Reference 7ABSabs.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 8NSVRCnsvrc.orgVisit source
- Reference 9FRAfra.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 10STATCANwww150.statcan.gc.caVisit source
- Reference 11GOVgov.ukVisit source