Relevant Books

There are a number of excellent books that are relevant to the service we offer here at SurvivorsUK. Reading can be a very safe and accessible way of getting information about what can be helpful in understanding and overcoming the effects of sexual assault. Reading about other men’s experiences can help relieve the sense of isolation and give hope and ideas for personal recovery.

Each book has a reader’s review (where possible). Each review is independently created or is a publisher’s comment and is not the view of SurvivorsUK.

Books for men who have experienced sexual violation

The courage to heal workbook: For women and men survivors of child sexual abuse – Laura Davis

The courage to heal workbook: For women and men survivors of child sexual abuse – Laura Davis

“As a survivor I bought this book with a little bit of hope, but not much. I have been pleasantly surprised. This is not patronising, is not full of irrelevant statistics and nor is it about wallowing in self pity and pain. This book is becoming a source of a lot of change in my life.”  London, England

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Beginning to heal: A first book for men and women who were sexually abused as children – Ellen Bass, Laura Davis

Beginning to heal: A first book for men and women who were sexually abused as children – Ellen Bass, Laura Davis

It takes you through the key stages of the healing process, from crisis times to breaking the silence, grief, and anger, to resolution and moving on. Includes inspirational highlights, practical suggestions and compelling accounts of survivors’ pain, their strength, and triumphs.   (Publisher Comment)

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Rescuing the Inner child: Therapy for adults sexually abused as children – Penny Parks

Rescuing the Inner child: Therapy for adults sexually abused as children – Penny Parks

“As a former victim of incest I read this book with real fear that rapidly turned to hope and joy. Penny Parks gave me back my hope, my capacity for joy, my life. Read this book; take the first step to being whole.”  Hampshire, England

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Abused boys: The Neglected victims of sexual abuse – Mic Hunter

Abused boys: The Neglected victims of sexual abuse – Mic Hunter

“I read this book to help me gain perspective on my partner’s childhood. It clarified for me the problems he is experiencing now, and why I couldn’t get him to talk about what happened. Discussions of psychological theory are followed up with case histories”  California, USA

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Broken Boys Mending Men: Recovery from Childhood Sexual Abuse. Stephen D.Grubman-Black

Broken Boys Mending Men: Recovery from Childhood Sexual Abuse. Stephen D.Grubman-Black

“This book opened my eyes to my past that my mind had blocked out. Most of my life I was seeking an illusion now there is some reality in my life. I was robbed of more than my innocence I lost most of my life. I now know there is more hope than I ever thought there was.”  Washington, USA

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Victims no Longer: The Classic Guide for Men Recovering from Sexual Child Abuse (Second Edition) Mike Lew.

Victims no Longer: The Classic Guide for Men Recovering from Sexual Child Abuse (Second Edition) Mike Lew.

“I am a Survivor of sexual abuse, and have recovered my life through therapy, and some hard personal work. But the personal work was so much easier with this remarkable book – Mike Lew’s understanding of ‘our’ problems is second to none.”  London, England

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Out of the Shadows: Help for Men Who Have Been Sexually Assaulted. Sarah Stott

Out of the Shadows: Help for Men Who Have Been Sexually Assaulted. Sarah Stott

“It will stimulate insights and free people to talk about their experiences and nightmares and help them understand and take a step forward. An outstanding, vital book which I thoroughly recommend to anyone who has been abused and does not know where to start.” Kilmarnock, Scotland

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Books for partners or carers of men who've experienced sexual violation

Ghosts in the bedroom: A guide for partners of incest survivors- Ken Graber

Ghosts in the bedroom: A guide for partners of incest survivors- Ken Graber

“This was the first book I read on the subject – I am a survivor. It quickly made me realise the enormity of the situation and my husband who is now reading it is become more aware daily of the effects of incest abuse. Its length and clearly defined topics”  Edinburgh, Scotland

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Partners in Recovery – How mates, lovers and other prosurvivors can learn to support and cope with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Beverly Engel.

Partners in Recovery – How mates, lovers and other prosurvivors can learn to support and cope with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Beverly Engel.

“Child abuse expert Engel gently guides readers through seven stages of recovery, including what to expect from one another and how to live through difficult times. Separating myth from truth, Engel explains a three-part process that aids in understanding,”  Publisher Comment

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Allies in Healing – When the person you love was sexually abused as a child. Laura Davis

Allies in Healing – When the person you love was sexually abused as a child. Laura Davis

“Though I loved my partner very much, I was often confused and hurt in our relationship. Not sure why the distance and odd behaviors happened, and lacking the knowledge or words to discuss it, the roller coaster ride was often more than I could handle. This book was a god send. It explained what was happening and why.”  San Francisco, USA

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Books for professionals

Helping male survivors of sexual violation to recover – Sarah Van Gogh

Helping male survivors of sexual violation to recover – Sarah Van Gogh

In a culture where to be male is often to be expected to embody strength, power and being in control, male victims of sexual abuse can be particularly challenging to help. This book outlines seven composite detailed case studies representing men from a wide range of backgrounds and demographics. It lays out how the author’s pioneering model of an integrative approach which includes psychodynamic, humanistic, relational, cognitive/behavioural, body-based and arts-based approaches can offer an effective model for working with this client group. 

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Psychotherapy with Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse: The Invisible Men. Alan Corbett.

Psychotherapy with Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse: The Invisible Men. Alan Corbett.

Based on the author’s extensive clinical experience of working with children and adult victims of sexual crime, Psychotherapy with Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse looks at the long history of male sexual abuse, positioning it not simply as a new phenomenon, but one that has a long but undocumented history. Anonymised case studies provide the backdrop for in-depth explorations of various consequences of sexual abuse, including sexual addiction, profound depression, gender dysphoria, eating disorders, self harm, suicidal ideation, and dissociation. The potentially toxic impact of sexual abuse upon the partners and families of survivors is also examined, alongside the effect upon the therapist of working with the aftermath of sexual aggression. Working with men who have been abused, either in childhood or in adulthood, involves working with profound shame and secrecy, with many victims having lived their lives in a cocoon of repression and silence. This book is a huge step forward in breaking that silence. (Publisher comment).

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From Pain to Violence: The traumatic roots of destructiveness. Felicity du Zuluetta

From Pain to Violence: The traumatic roots of destructiveness. Felicity du Zuluetta

Violence is all around us; yet, despite its widespread prevalence, we remain unclear about its causes. In this book Felicity de Zuluetta – begins by defining “violence” as distinct from “aggression”, and then attempts to trace its origins, highlighting the polarization between those who believe mankind to be innately violent and those who see violence as the outcome of man’s life experiences. As a result of her investigations, the author suggests that the current high level of violence may well be linked to the effects of childhood and adult trauma which appear to be far more widespread than has hitherto been acknowledged. These findings are relevant to understanding why “normal” people can become violent in certain conditions. This is a second edition and has been fully updated. A new chapter on terrorism has been added.  (Publisher comment).

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Psychodynamic Perspectives on Abuse: The cost of fear. Una McClusky, Carol-Ann Hopper.

Psychodynamic Perspectives on Abuse: The cost of fear. Una McClusky, Carol-Ann Hopper.

Abuse is defined broadly and considered as a widespread phenomenon with a variety of manifestations and contexts. Its consequences, and the responses it may provoke, are discussed in detail with reference to three areas. In the personal context, the impact of abuse on an individual’s development, emotional life and ability to participate in society is addressed. In the workplace, where the focus is upon working relationships and organizational goals, abuse may cause stress, undermine effectiveness and lead to legal redress: thus it involves a different set of problems and requires different treatment. In relation to society as a whole, the threat which abuse poses and the factors which determine policy are evaluated. (Publisher comment).

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The Merry-go round of sexual abuse: Identifying and treating Survivors. William E Prendergrast.

The Merry-go round of sexual abuse: Identifying and treating Survivors. William E Prendergrast.

The Merry-Go-Round of Sexual Abuse is a valuable guide to identifying, treating, and breaking the cycle of sexual abuse. Based on 30 years of professional experience in treating offenders and survivors of sexual assault and sexual molestation, Dr. Prendergast provides step-by-step guidelines and specialized treatment techniques most effective in producing change in this group of clients. Each technique is illustrated with pertinent case studies. This is a much-needed guide for professionals who often lack specific training in the identification and treatment of both offenders and survivors of sexual abuse.  (Publisher comment).

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Betrayed as boys: psychodynamic treatment of sexually abused men. Richard B Gartner

Betrayed as boys: psychodynamic treatment of sexually abused men. Richard B Gartner

Gartner’s work deconstructs sexuality in ways that a layman (like me) can understand. He then takes its components and explains how each of them is affected when a boy experiences sexual abuse. He shows us the myriad of possibilities a therapist might face in the adult who emerges from that abuse. And, bravely, he shows us the therapist as a human being who doubts, rejoices, struggles — all while working in the (often highly charged) moment with the patient. (Anonymous comment)

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The Male Survivor: The Impact of Sexual abuse – Matthew Parynik Mendel

The Male Survivor: The Impact of Sexual abuse – Matthew Parynik Mendel

“This book carefully explicates the specific social and psychological issues faced by men who were abused as children. Dr. Mendel has written a clinically useful volume, balancing research with case histories and psychological theory with social analysis.”  University of Southern California School of Medicine, USA

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Male Victims of Sexual Assault. Mezey/King.

Male Victims of Sexual Assault. Mezey/King.

This work reports on the first epidemiological study of male sexual victimization in Europe and challenges the stereotype of gay men as sexual predators. It discusses male rape in prisons, anthropological background, legislation and links between early sexual victimization and later perpetration. (Publisher comment).

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Narrative approaches to working with Adult male Survivors of childhood sexual abuse; the client’s, the counsellors and the researcher’s story. Kim Etherington

Narrative approaches to working with Adult male Survivors of childhood sexual abuse; the client’s, the counsellors and the researcher’s story. Kim Etherington

Presents first-hand accounts from two male survivors of childhood sexual abuse and from the counsellor who worked with them. The two brothers suffered severe sexual abuse from their father and were each unaware of the other’s ordeal. The author describes the counsellor’s perspective, and draws out the implications for counselling practice. She discusses the client-counsellor relationship, the techniques and approaches she used and makes links with her other work.   (Publisher comment.)

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Counselling Survivors of Childhood sexual abuse (counselling in practice series) – Claire Burke Draucker

Counselling Survivors of Childhood sexual abuse (counselling in practice series) – Claire Burke Draucker

“Claire Burke Draucker’s guide identifies the healing processes vital to the achievement of recovery from childhood sexual abuse. These include: disclosing the abuse, focusing on the abuse experience, reinterpreting abuse from an adult perspective.” (Publisher Synopsis)

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