March 6, 2018
Dissertation study volunteers needed
Justin Spiehs, doctoral student in K-State's lifespan human development program, is conducting a study on how men who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse have coped with this experience.
Spiehs, also a licensed marriage and family therapist, has worked with survivors of sexual abuse to help them find their voice, to tell their story of survivorship.
Childhood sexual abuse of males is widespread, affecting one in six men. Due to strong social influences, men who have been sexually abused are an invisible population. These men are less likely to seek help for the abuse they experienced, are less likely to believe they were abused, and less likely to talk about the abuse. This makes it very difficult for treatment specialists to hear of experiences that can only come from these men. Their stories have the potential to help other men who have been sexually abused.
If you are a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and are willing to share part of your survivorship story, contact Spiehs at jspiehs@k-state.edu to set up a confidential interview.
The interview will take place on campus and will last approximately one hour. Spiehs will record and transcribe the conversation. Once transcribed, the audio will be permanently deleted. Portions of the conversation will become part of Spiehs' dissertation, which may be shared in "de-identified" fashion with professionals involved in helping other male survivors of sexual abuse.
This study has been approved by the University Research Ethics Committee, IRB No. 9075.2, and has protections in place to safeguard your identity and preserve confidentiality.