Call for Contributions

Boy Not There is a newly established interdisciplinary fellowship, advocating for collaboration between scholars and lived-experience advocates regarding histories of sexual violence against men and boys.

We aim to amplify voices that confront the challenges of male sexual violence, reckoning with social stigmas that often become pervasive barriers to disclosure. We work with survivors, researchers, educators and clinicians to create supportive frameworks for narratives to be shared and better understood.

We are calling for contributions for our soon-to-be-launched newsletter and blog, highlighting both emerging research in this field and meaningful lived-experience accounts. Those selected will be published on our website and/or in our newsletter, advancing conversations about the impacts of male sexual violence. For lived experience accounts, full names can be withheld to protect individual privacy.

Contributions can be academic, creative, personal or reflective, and might explore (but need not be limited to):

• The scope of male sexual violence and barriers to reporting/disclosure.

• The mental health effects of sexual violence on male survivors (e.g., PTSD, depression, substance abuse).

• How societal expectations of masculinity impact male survivors’ ability to seek help.

• Comparative analysis of legal systems and cultural responses to male sexual violence.

• The use of sexual violence against men as a weapon of war.

• The role of personal storytelling in healing and raising public awareness.

• Evaluating the availability and adequacy of resources for male survivors.

• The unique challenges faced by gay, bisexual, and transgender male survivors.

• How male sexual violence affects interpersonal relationships and trust.

• Long-term consequences of sexual abuse experienced during boyhood.

• Examining portrayals of male sexual violence in media and their societal impact.

• Analyzing offender profiles and patterns in cases involving male survivors.

• How medical professionals address—or overlook—male sexual trauma.

• Exploring harmful beliefs that prevent recognition of male victimization.

• The prevalence and institutional response to sexual violence in prisons.

• Evaluating initiatives aimed at addressing male sexual violence.

• Costs associated with healthcare, productivity loss, and legal challenges for male survivors.

• How race, class, and ethnicity intersect with male sexual victimization.

We invite submissions of varied length, but intend publication for a general audience, so suggest word counts between 1000 - 5000 words.

Submissions can be made as full papers, or abstract proposals, and should be sent to (research@boynotthere.com). More information can be found via email or at boynotthere.com/cfp