MEN DEALING WITH MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE: CONDITIONS AND POSSIBILITIES OF 'POSITIVE DEVIANCE'

This article explores how sexually abused men can move away from an identity formed by the abuse. Based on Antonovsky's concept of a 'sense of coherence', the stories of three men who were sexually abused when young are analysed with an eye to research and therapy. Contrary to the often harm-oriented descriptions, these men demonstrate how, with or without professional assistance, they story their experiences in ways leading to an identity less determined by the abuse. The knowledge the men share about ways 'to manage' points at the importance for the researcher to respect singularity and remember who is the expert. This also applies to the therapist. He should acknowledge his position as 'not knower' and not an expert on 'good stories'.