The Invisible Victims of Sexual Violence : A Qualitative Analysis of Male Rape in the Congolese Conflict

Sexual violence against men is a reality. What happens to women and children during wartime also happens to men: perhaps less often, probably more brutal, but definitely less visible than sexual violence committed against women. This thesis analyses the reasons and effects of sexual violence against men in the DRC conflict. Based on 27 interviews with both male survivors and experts conducted in Uganda, the thesis concludes that sexual violence against men is perpetrated for the same reasons as sexual violence against women, but entails different consequences for the survivors. The findings suggest that sexual violence has even stronger negative effects, where hegemonic masculinity is prevalent, gender relations are unequal, and male victims are in the aftermath socially, culturally, psychologically, and physically impaired to reach the masculine ideal