Mothers often overlooked as perpetrators of sexual abuse of boys in their care

The Dutch authorities often overlook mothers as the perpetrators of sexual violence against the children in their care, the expertise center Fier concluded based on a new analysis of data from a previous study. The center raised concerns about boys and young men in particular, NOS reports.

Fier re-examined a study into sexual abuse of young people from 2018 to 2020, focusing on the sexual abuse of boys and young men. Of the 381 boys and young men who reported to Fier during that period, over 50 indicated that their mother, stepmother, or foster mother was the perpetrator of their abuse.

“We have seen that parents play a role in exploiting their child, for example, by facilitating abuse and making money from it, but the role of the mother as a perpetrator of sexual violence is hardly discussed,” Johannes Dijkstra of Fier told NOS. “Everyone we speak to in the field thinks it is very unique that we have encountered this.”

“It’s taboo upon taboo upon taboo,” Dijkstra explained. “Boys and men who have been sexually abused generally find it even more difficult to talk about than girls or women. But for men who have been abused by a woman, and then their own mother, the shame is sometimes triple.”

Society also struggles to view women, especially mothers, as the perpetrators of abuse, Dijkstra continued. “It often does not fit into our human brain that women and mothers also commit sexual abuse. People often do not want to see that picture, it is too painful.”

Fier hopes that there will be more research into boys and men who have been sexually abused by their mothers. “We don’t encounter them enough in healthcare, even though we know for sure that it happens,” Dijkstra said.

The victims Fier spoke to reached out through its anonymous chat function. “That shows that this is a way to get in touch with this target group,” Dijkstra said. “If chatting about it anonymously helps, that’s a good start. But these victims also deserve a voice. And society as a whole plays a role in this.”