Nobody Wants to Talk About It (Episode 12)

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One of the cardinal Man Rules is, “Don’t be weak.” A real man is never defenseless. A real man is never vulnerable to the aggression, abuse, or misconduct of anyone. If he is threatened by someone?even if that someone is much older than him, much bigger than him, and has the role of power and authority over him?he never submits. He is either strong enough to kick the guy’s ass or he is smart enough to escape. If he didn’t manage to do either of THOSE things and wound up being a victim of abuse? Well? That’s just what happens when you aren’t man enough to defend yourself.

Sadly, this way of thinking about male survivors of abuse is quite common, even if the victim is a child who faced a much older abuser. As a survivor of childhood sexual, physical, and emotional abuse himself, Randy Boyd knows this all too well. He now dedicates much of his time traveling the country, educating people on the realities of men’s experiences with childhood abuse, and offering a message of hope and healing to survivors. He and Dan talk about the unfortunate legacies of childhood abuse for men, which often include addiction, massive disconnection, anger, and violence and why many men don’t even realize that their past abuse is often connected to their current troubles. They also offer some ways forward for men currently struggling with the impact of abuse on their relationships and day-to-day lives. 

Check out this episode!