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Call for proposals – Breaking the Silence: Understanding and Addressing Childhood Sexual Abuse in Male Survivors

April 15, 2025

International Journal on Child Maltreatment: Research, Policy, and Practice

 CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Special Issue: Breaking the Silence: Understanding and Addressing Childhood Sexual Abuse in Male Survivors

Editors-in-Chief: Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan, PhD

Co-Editors: Carmit Katz, Ph.D. and Jill D. McLeigh, Ph.D

Aims and Scope of the Special Issue:

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in male survivors is an under-researched and often misunderstood issue. Despite its prevalence and profound impact, societal stigmas and misconceptions have perpetuated the idea that CSA only affects girls. This has led to gaps in understanding the unique experiences of male survivors, including their challenges with disclosure, societal and professional biases, and the long-term consequences of CSA on their psychological, relational, and sexual well-being.

This special issue aims to “break the silence” by fostering research that sheds light on this critical topic. We invite high-quality submissions addressing this important topic. In particular, we are looking for submissions that address the following:

-Prevalence, characteristics, and risk factors associated with CSA in male survivors;

-Barriers to disclosure and help-seeking behaviors among boys and men;

-The role of societal stigma and masculine norms in shaping male survivors’ experiences;
-Interventions and therapeutic approaches tailored for male survivors
-Perpetrator characteristics and dynamics specific to abuse involving male victims
-Cross-cultural comparisons of CSA prevalence and responses in male survivors
This special issue seeks to provide critical insights for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers, with the goal of addressing the needs of male CSA survivors more effectively.

Submissions Instructions:

Manuscript abstracts are invited between 15 April 2025 and 31 May 2025. Abstracts should include the objective and aims of the study, methodology, findings, and conclusions, with a maximum word count of 400 words.

Submission Process:

Abstracts should be emailed to agewirtz-@univ.haifa.ac.il. Following the invitation to submit a full manuscript, authors must prepare their papers in compliance with the International Journal on Child Maltreatment: Research, Policy, and Practice’s Guide for Authors and submit their manuscript via the Editorial Manager system.

Manuscripts will be peer-reviewed. Please indicate in the cover letter accompanying your manuscript that your paper is intended for the “Special Issue: Breaking the Silence: Understanding and Addressing Childhood Sexual Abuse in Male Survivors.”
For questions regarding this special issue, please contact Guest Editor Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan , PhDagewirtz-@univ.haifa.ac.il

For general inquiries about the journal, please contact Editor-in-Chief Carmit Katz, PhDcarmit@haruv.org.il