Often framed as a woman’s issue – rightfully so – rape also exists as a harrowing reality for men, one that society habitually fails to acknowledge. A mere 45 reported cases a year are a deceptive comfort for countless unreported sexual assaults in the face of closed doors. Obtaining precise statistics proves to be challenging due to significant underreporting, societal stigma and limited research further branching into a lack of attention and easily achieved ability to ignore. Coming out the other end unscathed or lacking the possession of the fact that judgement and scrutiny sticks to the victim – yet another unsolicited pair of hands laid upon the body – becomes an idea nothing short of fantasy. 

The societal notion of masculinity often prevents male survivors from coming forward, as culturally imposed silence is preferable to the discomfort caused by the weight of accusations and the justice that is expected to follow. A hollow definition of masculinity oppresses vulnerable victims who step forward with hopes of justice only to bear witness to the sight of them being shattered by the hands of radical scrutiny and widespread disbelief. Absence of such pivotal components reinforce the misconception of its nonexistence. All averted eyes and unwilling hands possess power that ends up perpetuating the unspoken narrative of dismissal. 

Victim blaming acts as a second assault that further weighs down the wounded and uproots profound psychological barriers that deter them from speaking of their woes. The weaponizing stereotypes of strength dangle before the necks of the victims, their identities wearing away under threat of being written off as weak for the inability to protect oneself. In Pakistan, where deeply entrenched cultural, tribal and religious norms glorify hyper-masculinity, these intrusive remarks amplify the preexisting intensity of shame and self-doubt forcing the sufferer to internalize guilt for terror mercilessly brought upon them. The pervasive narrative that a “real man” cannot be overpowered or exploited silences many, driving them into isolation and unfair estimation of self worth. Wrongly pointed fingers actively contribute to the cycle of underreporting, silence and dismissal. 

Silence influences victims to a path easy to follow compared to an endless struggle for unworthy justice and insincere acknowledgement while emboldening perpetrators, granting them dangerous freedom to repeat their monstrous actions slowly being considered less and less so. In Pakistan, the legal and cultural barriers discouraging male victims from coming forward creates a fertile ground for abuse to thrive. The absence of accountability weaves together a shield behind which predators feel untouchable, exploiting societal taboos to act upon their intentions unquestioned. Every unreported case not only denies justice to the survivor but also endangers others, as it pushes the agenda of occurrence of such acts without consequences. 

The silence surrounding male rape echoes far beyond individual cases, marking the slow but timely death of the nation’s youth and signaling the ominous future. When a society fails to protect or even recognise its most vulnerable, it paves the way for broader cycles of violence, exploitation and impending decay.

Each unreported case enables not only repeat offences but also fostering an environment where other crimes thrive unchecked. The once enthusiastic voices of the youth – the very backbone of this nation – now stifled whispers of a generation being bled dry of hope. The silence today becomes the harbinger of a society undone by its stubborn unwillingness to confront its darkest truths.