Resources for Men
As a group, male survivors report a lack of recovery services and support — many services are focused on meeting the needs of thousands of girls and women who are abused and assaulted. Most guys who experience sexual assault choose never to reveal it, even to people they know and trust. They fear being disbelieved, ridiculed, shamed, accused of weakness, ignored or, in the case of heterosexual men, being perceived as gay.
For all of these reasons, many guys who survive sexual abuse or sexual assault endure their traumatic experience silently and alone.
Men CANNOT be sexually assaulted
The goal of the Men’s Counselling Program is to assist men who have experienced abuse and/or trauma in their lives. The program allows them to understand and recover from its effects.
To learn more about mental health or substance use information and services in your area, visit your Health Authority website
Violence in same-sex/gender relationships, is often ignored, minimized or misunderstood by families, friends, communities and service providers, but it is a reality.
You might identify yourself as lesbian, queer, dyke, bi-sexual, gay, trans, two-spirited, or you might not use any of these terms to describe yourself.
The British Columbia Society for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse (BCSMSSA) is a non-profit society established to provide therapeutic services for males who have been sexually abused at some time in their lives.
IRSSS provides essential services to Residential School Survivors, their families, and those dealing with Intergenerational traumas. These impacts affect every family and every community across B.C. and Canada.
Since 2019 HIM has been working with local partners in Kelowna and the Interior region to improve the accessibility and uptake of health services for gay, bi and queer men, and gender diverse people.