It has only been in the last decade or so that men who have experienced sexual trauma have been added to the discussion about sexual abuse and assault. The topic has more recently become recognized, particularly with the revelations of several well-known survivors, among them basketball player Keyon Dooling, hockey player Theo Fleury, and actor Tyler Perry. They have all told their stories. There are countless other stories out there about ordinary people who have survived similar abuse, but most of them remain untold.

Empty Playground is a memoir that shares the journey from childhood sex abuse through the struggle to cope with the repercussions and into recovery and healing. It is a story often lived but not often told as men, both gay and straight, are so reluctant to speak about their abuse and often stay silent about their emotions as well.

In Empty Playground, Callen Harty recounts his experiences with an unflinching directness and gentle honesty.

In Healing the Man Within, Randy Boyd talks candidly about what it took for him as a man to heal from the impacts of childhood sexual abuse. Using language and imagery that is easily accessible to other men and those who care about them, Boyd describes his experience overcoming common effects of sexual abuse for males, like low self-esteem, sexual problems, and destructive rage. He also explores the frequent correlation between sexual abuse and drug and alcohol addiction, and his drive to be successful as a way of proving his worth as a man. With contributions from Jerry Moe, Dan Griffin, Dr. Allen Berger, John Lee and Dr. Mic Hunter, Healing the Man Within engagingly walks the line between autobiography and a self-help book.

Using the metaphor of a car accident, Naming Our Abuse leads the survivor from the Wreck to the Accident Report to Rehabilitation to Driving Again. This four—step model illustrates that healing is a process to be nurtured rather than something that can be healed in a single telling. Following the authors’ examples, readers are invited to find solidarity with other male survivors and develop an understanding of their own wounding through journaling exercises.

This is the ‘classic’ book on the topic, which has recently come out in a new edition, extensively revised and updated, including an expanded resources section.

A book written to empower male survivors of sexual victimization to develop skills they can use to overcome the effects of trauma and learn to thrive in their lives. Male survivors often struggle to feel any sense of hope for the future, so this book is designed to inspire survivors and their allies with easily learned skills developed over the course of the author’s 30-year career, and the real-life experiences of male survivors who have learned to thrive.

A Christian/theological book with contributions from 27 people. Dr. Schmutzer uses a collaborative approach to address childhood sexual abuse from a psychological, theological, and pastoral care perspective.

A book with insights and avenues to recovery not found in others, by a therapist who’s worked with men sexually abused as boys and with teenagers and adults who sexually abuse children. As he writes, “This book is about empowerment… The more you know about the abuse, how abusers work, and how they keep power over you through your fear and anger, the less likely they can continue to control you.” Chapters on anger, disclosure, confrontation, and cycles of self-defeating behavior are particularly valuable. Truly a book about how to “Take back your life and live it to the fullest.”

Wise reflections and advice from real men, young and old, from all walks of life and all over the world.

Lots of wisdom and useful resources from an experienced therapist and leading advocate for men with histories of unwanted or abusive sexual experiences.

Another classic, rich with stories of real men with whom Dr. Hunter has worked and full of tools for recovery.