The ubiquitous phenomenon of sexualization, noticeable especially at the sociocultural level, is reflected in numerous activities in the public space (Waszyńska, Zielona-Jenek, 2016). It would seem that with the tendency to popularize this topic, there will be increasingly more studies, concerning sexual violence in the scientific discourse.  Yet, the number of studies and researchers studying this topic is very limited. Simultaneously, one can find studies indicating a clear correlation between the acceptance of rape myths and the perpetration of sexual violence, as well as  less frequent reporting of crimes by victims (Moyano, Monge, Sierra, 2017; Heath, Lynch, Fritch, Wong, 2013). The current disparities in the level of education and its consequences suggest the need to create a whole system of prevention and education against sexual violence. However, it is difficult to create effective social policy without adequate knowledge, a thorough scientific analysis of the phenomenon or a thorough terminological study of the new phenomena of sexual violence that have arisen with the development of new technologies.

Thus, the scientific aim of my work will be to investigate and describe the phenomenon of men experiencing sexual violence by women.

The research problems in this work concern (1) society's knowledge and opinion on sexual violence against men in Poland, including, among others, knowledge of the physiology of the male body during an attempted sexual abuse, current myths and stereotypes of masculinity, knowledge of the functioning of aid institutions or the social image of male victims of violence. In addition, the aim of the research is to present (2) statistics from the Central Statistical Office and the Police regarding reports of sexual abuse of which a male victim was a victim, as well as any noticeable, statistically-significant changes that have occurred in recent years. The third research problem revolves around the interviews conducted with experts and their knowledge of, the range of available assistance from which victimized men can benefit, the scale of the analyzed phenomenon in Poland, the social causes and consequences of not reporting the act of violence to law enforcement, and the recommended changes in this regard on the social, political and legal levels. The final, fourth research problem concerns the context surrounding the act of sexual violence in selected cases of men who experienced it. That is, the characteristics of the victim and the perpetrator, the consequences faced by the victims and the reporting of the analyzed situation to law enforcement authorities.

In the literature, it can be noted that the taboo of sexual violence, if it is already mentioned, mainly concerns women and children (e.g.: Marzec-Holka, 2011; Piotrowska, Synakiewicz, 2011). There is now much talk in the public space about equality and fair treatment of all people regardless of gender. A number of foundations have also been created to provide assistance and information campaigns on violence and gender equality. The nature of these foundations, however, most often points to women and children as the objects of assistance. In Poland, only one foundation deals with assistance aimed directly at men victimized by sexual violence. Certainly one of the reasons for this is the stereotype of men, which has been built up for many years, as those who are always willing to engage in sexual activity, are tough and do not show emotions, do not talk to other people about their feelings and suffer in silence (Grzybek, Bielak, 2015). The lack of reporting of the act of violence on men is reflected in statistics, which show that sexually victimized men are practically non-existent in Poland (Central Statistical Office), contrary to case evidence and sociopedagogical practice. 

In my dissertation, I will use triangulation of methods in a mixed form. The research I will conduct will be both qualitative and quantitative in nature. Thus, I will combine the two research approaches into one equal and common research procedure. Extensive quantitative research, carried out through the diagnostic survey method, will allow for a thorough analysis of the phenomenon of sexual violence against men. This means developing claims that are missing from the Polish scientific discourse, as well as organizing and predicting possible changes in the studied area. Within the framework of the aforementioned method, a questionnaire will be applied to a group of adult Poles, residing in the territory of the Republic. The sample will be typologically representative, and its size will be ≤ 2000 people. For appropriate sampling, the survey sampling scheme for quota sampling will be used. These will be CAPI-type surveys, conducted by interviewers presenting a proprietary survey questionnaire to respondents in electronic form. The data obtained will be supplemented by an analysis of statistics on sexual violence against men (using a document analysis guide on statistics from the official website of the Police and the Central Statistical Office) and expert interviews with about a dozen people employed by aid institutions that provide assistance to men experiencing sexual violence (e.g., employees of the Fortior Foundation and state institutions such as MOPS and Crisis Intervention Centers). Equally important for the exploration of the studied phenomenon will be the use of individual case method to obtain qualitative data. Here, consequently, two techniques will be used. Firstly, the document analysis will focus on a close examination of the records (min.5) of men who have experienced sexual violence by women and have benefited from the assistance of aid institutions. The tool in this case will be a categorization key for the documentation of men obtained from selected institutions. In-depth interviews (IDI) with men who permitted to analyze their private documentation described in the previous section will be the second technique. The interviews will be conducted based on properly prepared instructions.

The myths present in society and the preliminary review of available statistics on men mentioned earlier may foreshadow the low awareness of the phenomenon of sexual violence against men in the quantitative survey results. It will then prove particularly important to juxtapose these results with the results of qualitative interviews with experts and men themselves who have experienced suffering at the hands of women. The picture thus obtained of the studied area of sexual violence will make it possible to contrast well and present the scales of the problem taken up. The results obtained will be able to serve as a basis for further research and social action. While the causes of sexual violence among men are complex, intertwined and mutually contingent, in Poland the specific factors contributing to this phenomenon are: stereotypes of masculinity, ingrained in the culture, a conservative society, taboos caused by the dominant religion (Catholicism), etc. The above argument and others mentioned in this text prove that the described dissertation is compatible with the current Sustainable Development Goals, developed by the United Nations, and in particular education and gender equality. There are numerous potential applications of my research, such as: the expansion of the offer of support facilities, the development of training materials (for pedagogues, psychologists, educational workers, social workers, therapists, medical personnel, police officers), the expansion of the offer of sexual education at various developmental stages, which is sorely lacking in the Polish educational system, the creation of social campaigns, implemented in the space of social media, traditional media and various areas of social activity, of a preventive nature.

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