Young Men
From the age of 4 until I turned 15, I was sexually abused by a family member. At first, I didn't understand what was happening to me. By the time I figured it out I felt too guilty and ashamed to tell anyone so I lived with my secret while I faced my abuser every holiday the family gathered at my mother's house.
My friends joked on incest and male rape a lot, and I would go along with them because I didn't want them to figure out that it happened to me. Even my female friends joked about.
I tried telling someone a few times, but found that I just couldn't do it. I found out about The James House through a young woman I work with who had completed her internship with them. I finally got the nerve to call, but when Jane answered the phone, I ended up telling her that I was interested in becoming a volunteer.
We met on several occasions and she gave me a lot of reading materials and other information, along with the standard hotline numbers and web addresses they always give out to people during the orientation process, in the event that they may be 'triggered' by something they read.
I knew that I was in no condition to volunteer to work with people in crisis, but I found other ways to help out, and I began researching those websites, and it took me more than a year, but I finally called one of those hotline numbers and I told someone about my abuse.
If you or someone you know has experienced rape or incest, I hope you will reach out for help. You can call The James House Hotline (804-458-2840) or the Virginia Family Violence and Sexual Assault Hotline (800-828-8328) without giving your name. Everything is confidential.
Men Ending Violence
The goal of Men Ending Violence is to invite men to participate in efforts to reduce sexual violence. We can no longer think of rape as "just a women's issue." Sexual violence impacts both men and women. Ending sexual violence begins by inviting men to learn about sexual violence and challenging them to examine masculinity. Men have a responsibility and the power to end sexual violence. As men begin to speak out against sexual violence they become part of the solution. We want you to be part of the solution!
- 1in6 - helping men who have had unwanted or abusive sexual experiences.
Call one of our Client Services Coordinators for more information on any of our confidential services.
Monday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., 804-458-2704
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