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	Don't Forget the Boys The Ottawa Citizen December 29, 2009 http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/forget+boys/2387289/story.html The majority of sexual abuse victims in Cornwall -- where a massive inquiry wrapped up this month -- were male. And yet, decades after Ontario began recognizing the importance of supporting victims of sexual abuse with mental health and counselling services, the needs of men are still largely ignored. The province's Ministry of the Attorney General funds an extensive network of mental health services for female sexual abuse victims throughout Ontario, and it is right to do so. But there is only one such organization for male survivors -- The Men's Project, based in Ottawa with a temporary second office in Cornwall. The Cornwall inquiry into sexual abuse, which dealt with allegations going back four decades, identified systemic failures that allowed the abuse to continue. In his report, Commissioner Normand Glaude found that the church, the probation office and police were all guilty of failing to properly investigate abuse claims. But it's not always the abuse alone that ruins lives. As Glaude wrote, it's also the lack of support and treatment: "Expert testimony before this inquiry explained that the impact of sexual abuse that has not been treated can be severe: alcohol and drug addiction; issues of trust, particularly toward authority; problems with intimate and family relationships; interruption of education; anxiety and mood disorders; confusion over sexual identity; problems of self-control, sometimes leading to criminal acts; serious physical illness and early death." Glaude provided a service in emphasizing that the need for post-abuse therapy and other forms of support "is not a weakness or a drain on public resources. It is an investment in individuals who deserve help and who can achieve greater well-being and productive lives." Yet for men especially, the stigma of being an abuse victim can be overwhelming, and victims are reluctant to talk about it, let alone seek help. The sad case of NHLer Theo Fleury, whose professional and personal life was marred by self-destructive behaviour, and who only this year began to confront his own victimization as a youth, is a reminder that the stigma is deep and real. Rick Goodwin of The Men's Project says it has been estimated that up to one out of every six men has been sexually abused, and only half of them ever report the abuse. There are historical reasons why sexual assault services have tended to be tailored for female victims. Most obviously, women are more likely than men to experience sexual violence at some point in their lives. The women's movement and its attendant political institutions took up the cause. Meanwhile, there have been no advocates for male victims of sexual abuse, even though in cases of institutional abuse (at Mount Cashel in Newfoundland, for example, and the Christian Brothers in Ontario) boys are often the victims. Commissioner Glaude said it is time to identify what services can best help men who have been abused. The province should make this a priority, following the model created by The Men's Project. If the Cornwall inquiry represents a small step toward ending the isolation that male victims typically experience, then it will not have been in vain. Too many lives are destroyed that otherwise could have been productive and happy.
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