When, Why and How Male Victim-Survivors of Sexual Violence Seek Help: Sexual Violence Practitioner Experiences of Support Provision

Abstract Prior research has indicated significant delays in the help-seeking of male victim-survivors who have experienced sexual violence. Understanding the help-seeking behaviours among this cohort is crucial for empowering victim-survivor voices, developing effective support services and broadening scholarly understandings of help-seeking and crisis responses. Thirty-eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with practitioners working within the sexual violence support sector across regional, rural and urban Australia. Observations revealed a process of help-seeking among male victim-survivors that is most often aligned with: (1) readiness, (2) willingness and (3) commitment. Practitioners believed that recovery and healing can be a non-linear lifelong process, and that the decision to seek help is fraught with complexities and challenges. These challenges emphasize the need for services to offer responsive, person-centred and flexible support options.