Helping Male Survivors of Childhood Sex Crimes

Dr. Richard Gartner is a pioneer in treating sexually abused men and has worked with this population since the 1980s.  He has published six books focusing, first, on establishing that men are indeed sexually abused and assaulted; second, concentrating on the interpersonal betrayal at the heart of sexual abuse and trauma; and third, highlighting how men’s reactions to sexual trauma are unique.  

He is training and supervising analyst, faculty, and Founding Director of the Sexual Abuse Service at the William Alanson White Psychoanalytic Institute in New York City.  A Fellow of the American Psychological Association, he is also a Fellow of its Divisions of Psychoanalysis, Men and Masculinities, and Trauma Psychology; and is faculty, consultant, and supervisor at the Manhattan Institute for Psychoanalysis.  

A co-founder and Past President of MaleSurvivor.org, Dr. Gartner since 1992 has written and spoken widely about the sexual abuse of boys and the treatment of men sexually abused in childhood.  He has presented papers about sexually abused men at, among numerous other venues, the American Psychological and Psychiatric Associations; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Sandor Ferenczi Society in Budapest; the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD); the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma (IVAT); the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers [ATSA];  Harvard, Columbia, Adelphi, and New York Universities; and numerous clinics, hospitals, trauma treatment services, professional organizations and rape intervention programs in the U.S., Canada, Hungary, Netherlands, and Israel. He has also testified before the New York and New Jersey legislative committees in support of child protection law reforms.

He is the author of Betrayed as Boys, the classic professional text on treating sexually abused men, and Beyond Betrayal: Taking Charge of Your Life after Boyhood Sexual Abuse, written for the general public. Dr. Gartner’s most recent books are: Trauma and Countertrauma, Resilience and Counterresilience; Understanding the Sexual Betrayal of Boys and Men; and Healing Sexually Betrayed Men and Boys.

Dr. Gartner is the recipient of the William Friedrich Memorial Child Sexual Abuse Treatment Award; APA’s Trauma Psychology Division’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Practice in Trauma Psychology; and the Director’s Award of the William Alanson White Institute for contributions to the psychoanalytic understanding of trauma.  He was also honored when MaleSurvivor established the Richard Gartner Award for Clinical Contribution in honor of his contributions to the treatment of sexually abused men. 

Dr. Gartner practices in New York City. More information is available at his website, www.richardgartner.com. 

Jim Struve has been working with male survivors since 1976. His areas of clinical expertise include trauma, conflict resolution, mindfulness, dissociation, and resilience. He is a member of the Weekends of Recovery Facilitator Team, a treatment program for male survivors of sexual assault, is the Executive Director of MenHealing, and is a founding member of the Reconciliation & Growth Project and the LGBTQ Affirmative Psychotherapists Guild of Utah. He was a founding member of the National Organization Against Sexual Victimization of Males (currently MaleSurvivor); chaired the International Conference on The Male Survivor: Assessment & Treatment of the Male Survivor of Sexual Abuse; has been a Clinical Supervisor and Workshop Trainer for the Georgia Council on Child Abuse; chaired the Georgia Council on Child Abuse Advisory Committee; served on the Executive Committee of the Consortium on Peace Research, Education, & Development; and served on the board of directors of Men Stopping Violence. He has authored or co-authored a variety of publications, including Clinical Perspectives About Male Sexual Victimization: The Cultural and Historical Context of Gender; “Empowering Male Survivors to Heal Through Community and Peer Connections,” in Gartner, Richard (Ed.), Healing Sexually Betrayed Men and Boys: Treatment for Sexual Abuse and Trauma; “Beyond the Gay/Straight Binary: Gender and/or Sexually Diverse Male Survivors,” in Gartner, Richard (Ed.), Understanding the Sexual Betrayal of Boys and Men and “Living in the Shadow of Shame: Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse,” Catalyst (May 2008), among others. He is a recipient of the Ridgeview Institute Community Service Award; the Women’s International League of Peace & Freedom Community Services Award; the SAGE Outstanding Community Contribution Award; and the Richard Gartner Outstanding Services Award. 

Rhett Hackett is president and co-founder of Humanity Preservation Foundation, a nonprofit foundation advocating for victims of child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and bullying. Mr. Hackett frequently works with law enforcement and victim service agencies in this capacity. He also hosts the weekly television show, Hands Off, a program on interpersonal violence. A survivor of childhood sexual assault, he is a member of the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) Speakers Bureau. 

Kenneth Rogers, Jr. is a teacher and prolific author of award-winning, critically acclaimed self-help books for child sex abuse victims. He takes a novel approach, using comic book allegory to which young people can relate. His published works includes such titles as Heroes, Villains and Healing: A Guide for Male Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse Using D.C. Comic Superheroes and Villains and How to Master Your Inner Superman: A Guide for Male Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Using Superman to Help Conquer the Need for Facades. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse by a family member, he is a member of the RAINN Speakers Bureau. 

Mr. Lausten is a male survivor of child sexual assault and abuse. He has been an adult sexual assault victim advocate for over 32 years. He shares his story and recovery to help other childhood victims of sex crimes. He is a RAINN Speaker, and is profiled on the organization 1in6 website, a nonprofit victim service organization specifically for men who have been sexually assaulted and abused.  

Thomas Stump was brutally raped in a group home when he was a child. His testimony years later helped send a serial pedophile to prison. He is now a member of the RAINN Speakers Bureau with insights into how the criminal justice system and those who work within it can improve communications with, and outcomes for, male sex crime victims. 

John Moffitt is a male survivor of child sex trafficking. He has been an adult sexual assault victim advocate for the Navy and an advisor for childhood victims of sex crimes. He is a member of the RAINN Speakers Bureau.  

An attorney in private practice for over twenty years, Tom James has also been a mediator/arbitrator for the Dispute Settlement Board, a district court deputy, and a judicial clerk. He has presented on the subjects of child abuse, domestic violence, and mental health law in such forums as the Minnesota State Guardian ad Litem Annual Training Program, the First Annual Conference on the College Male, the Minnesota Fathers and Families Network Annual Summit, and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. He is the author of several books and law review articles, including “Assisted Reproduction: Reforming State Statutes After Obergefell v. Hodges and Pavan v. Smith,” in the Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class. 

Although he is primarily an intellectual property attorney, he has always had a special interest in protecting the rights and interests of members of underserved populations and groups that are the targets of bias and prejudice. He received a Certificate of Commendation from the Governor of Minnesota for his work to improve the judicial system and is a recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award for legal scholarship. Mr. James compiled the written materials, will be giving a brief talk, and is co-moderating the panel discussion. He is the organizer and host of the course.