Whilst meta analysis can provide a useful over arching view, it is through comparison and drilling down to the detail that we can start to better understand the patterns of offending against males. The table and information below provide a snapshot of the prevalence and characteristics of sexual abuse of males and females taken from two large scale studies published in 2005 (Dube et al. 2005; Personal Safety Survey 2005).

Question 1.  In looking at the data, what catches your attention?

Question 2.  What are the reported similarities and differences in experience of male and female respondents?

Table 2. Sex of perpetrators of childhood sexual abuse (Dube et al. 2005)