Supporting men who have been sexually assaulted

It is a common misconception that men cannot be sexually assaulted. This is not true.

There are unique challenges for men who have been sexually abused in childhood or assaulted as an adult.

In Australia, 1 in 16 men have been sexually assaulted since the age of 15 (ABS 2023). If this is you, it’s important to know that you are not alone and that you are believed.

We know that sexual assault is a gendered issue, but everyone deserves support to recover and heal from sexual assault. There are specific support agencies which focus on helping men affected by sexual abuse or assault. You can find more information by visiting our support services page.

We understand that victim-survivors may not want to report to police immediately after the incident. It can be common for men to report sexual assaults that happened a while ago. These are called historical sexual assaults. Police take every report of sexual assault seriously, no matter how long ago it happened.

Support for people who identify as LGBTQIA+

We understand there are unique challenges faced by people who have experienced sexual violence and identify as LGBTQIA+. There are people who work for the Queensland Police as LGBTQIA+ Liaison Officers who can help you. More details about liaison officers and other useful information can be found on our LGBTQIA+ page. If you are unsure if you have been sexually assaulted, you can visit our What is sexual assault? page for more information.

We know it can be difficult to report experiences of sexual assault, but police are here to listen at any time. If you would feel more comfortable speaking with a male police officer or detective, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate this. For more information on reporting options, please visit our reporting options page.