(U-WIRE) MUNCIE, Ind. – Because of society’s attitude toward men, many male sexual assault victims choose to keep quiet on the matter.

Therapists nationwide are aware of only a percentage of cases, John Stachula, a counselor at Ball State University’s Counseling Center, said.

Counselors believe that as more information on the topic becomes readily available, more victims will seek out the help needed to confront the issue, he said. Sexual abuse directed toward men has been a subject that is typically left untouched because of social themes regarding the place of men in society. However, as time progresses, more victims of this abuse come to confront the problem.

“It’s one of those things that is hugely underreported,” Stachula said.

The Counseling Center has revamped its efforts to reach out to victims who may have never considered or have avoided counseling. By using e-mail as well as flyers and its Web site, the Counseling Center can inform students about the Journey to Wholeness for Men program publicly or from the privacy of their home computer. The goal is to reach students that may have never seen a flyer or heard about the program, Stachula said.

After an assessment, the best type of therapy for a client is chosen. By offering all types of counseling, from one-on-one sessions with a counselor to mediated group therapy sessions, the goal of the treatment is to give each client what he needs.

“Is there any one way to cure this? No,” Stachula said. “The challenge with any kind of treatment is to meet the individual and help that person to do whatever healing is needed.”

According to the Web site of the McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School’s Jim Hopper, approximately one in six boys are sexually abused before the age of 16. However, the site is quick to acknowledge that statistics on the subject are highly controversial because of variations in the number of reported incidents each year. These figures are also muddled by the not-so-distinct definitions of sexual abuse.

Male sexual assault is defined by Alternatives To Violence of the Palouse, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Washington created to support victims of domestic and sexual abuse, as “any unwanted, non-consensual sexual contact” regardless of the attacker’s sex or sexual preference. However, there is no clear definition of abuse because of the various methods employed by abusers. Touching and observation of touching are two common acts, but sexual abuse can range from physical to emotional, depending on each victim’s experience.

“A lot of people get hung up on thinking that abuse is just one thing, but there’s no one way to define abuse,” Stachula said.

Stachula said many victims share common experiences during and after the time of abuse though the differences in attackers may vary. Confusion regarding masculinity, sexual identity, and feelings of guilt, along with shame, inability to trust and fear are some of the more common experiences.

These feelings often lead many victims to feel as if they are alone. Stachula said that many people endure the abuse and never get treatment.

“Males receive all of the messages,” Stachula said. “Like you’re supposed to be strong and handle things on your own, and even that something is wrong with you for needing help, but these messages only perpetuate the problem. It is important to remember that you’re not alone and that it is normal for people to need help when they are hurt.”

Michael Stevenson, department chairman and professor of psychological science, said the abuse itself might be a reason that male victims of sexual abuse choose to not seek counseling.

“Women are socialized to be emotional caretakers,” Stevenson said. “Men are generally taught to go in the other direction. Men talk about (for example) football or they don’t talk.”

Because of the difficulty for fully-socialized males to talk about these problems, Stevenson believed that group settings were more helpful for the topic’s discussion. One of the most common experiences for male victims of sexual abuse to deal with is feelings of isolation. Stevenson said he believed that by being near men with the same kind of experience victims realize that their experiences were not just isolated incidents.

Christie Johnson, assistant director of the Indiana University Center for Human Growth, said that one of the downsides to confronting the issue was demand.

“It’s one of the least frequent issues we assist with,” Johnson said. “The demand is not that great, but we do offer help to students who need it.”

Because of the lack of reported cases and variation in reports it is difficult for experts to create statistics reflecting the correct number of victims on a state level. While statistics on local and state-wide victims are unavailable there are some facts available on the subject. According to the ATVP Web site male victims are most often sexually abused by other males, regardless of the attacker’s sexual orientation.

Many males are less likely to report the abuse because they are under the impression that they should have been able to stop the abuse. Also, victims are typically abused by someone outside of the family, but who may be an acquaintance or friend.

There is no exact model for the type of victim or attacker. However, it is known that many attackers go through a “testing phase.” This allows them to learn the limits of a victim’s trust.