Break the Silence on Male Sexual Abuse

Help Bring "Taylor Got Touched" to Print - Breaking the Silence on Male Sexual Abuse

My name is Taylor McCarten, and I'm reaching out during Men's Mental Health Month because I believe it's time to have conversations our society has been avoiding for far too long.

At 13, I was sexually abused by a groundskeeper at my school. At 25, I was raped by a woman while traveling abroad. For over two decades, I carried these experiences in silence, not because I chose to, but because our society has no framework for understanding male survivors of sexual abuse.

The statistics are staggering: approximately 1 in 6 men experience sexual abuse before age 18, yet less than 10% of sexual assault centers offer male-specific programming. When men do come forward, we face disbelief, minimization, and sometimes even ridicule. The message is clear - male victims don't exist, or if we do, we're somehow less "manly" for having been victimized.

That silence nearly destroyed me. It led to addiction, failed relationships, and a pattern of running from my truth across cities and careers. But in 2024, everything changed when false allegations based on rumors from my past led to my termination from a job I loved. The very trauma I'd hidden was weaponized against me, and I realized that silence wasn't protecting me - it was making me vulnerable.

So I started writing. What began as a way to process my experiences became "Taylor Got Touched" - a memoir that doesn't just tell my story, but uses it as a catalyst to challenge everything we think we know about male sexual abuse.

The title itself contains four layers of meaning - from the literal violation I experienced, to moments of grace that guided my healing, to the interconnected ways we all affect each other in communities like Victoria, BC where I live. It's about breaking cycles of trauma rather than perpetuating them.

Why This Book Matters Now

Male survivors face unique challenges that are barely acknowledged, let alone addressed:

We're taught that showing vulnerability equals weakness

Our trauma responses are often misinterpreted as aggression

Female-perpetrated abuse is dismissed or even celebrated

The myth that "abused boys become abusers" follows us everywhere

"Taylor Got Touched" addresses these realities head-on, combining personal narrative with research to create something that's been missing: an honest, accessible account of male survivorship that doesn't ask for pity but demands understanding.

The Financial Reality

I've completed the manuscript, but to reach the audience this book deserves, I need professional editing to ensure it meets publishing standards. Quality editing costs approximately $3,000-5,000 for a manuscript of this length and importance.

I'm currently on disability following a mental health crisis triggered by the very dynamics this book explores. While I have the time and energy to write, I lack the financial resources to bring this work to publication without your help.

Your Impact

Every dollar you contribute helps ensure that other male survivors won't face the isolation I experienced. This book could:

Provide validation for men questioning their own experiences

Educate families, friends, and professionals about male survivorship

Challenge harmful myths that keep survivors silent

Create space for conversations that could save lives

During Men's Mental Health Month, when we're discussing the crisis of male suicide and isolation, we need to acknowledge that unaddressed trauma is often at the root. Breaking the silence around male sexual abuse isn't just about the past - it's about preventing future tragedies.

A Personal Note

Writing this book has been the most healing thing I've ever done. Each chapter reclaimed a piece of my story that trauma had stolen. But healing isn't meant to be solitary - it's meant to be shared, to light the way for others walking similar paths.

Your support isn't just funding a book; it's funding hope. Hope that no boy or man will have to carry these experiences alone. Hope that our society can expand its understanding of victimization and survival. Hope that speaking truth, however difficult, can create the change we desperately need.

Thank you for considering supporting this project. Together, we can ensure that "Taylor Got Touched" becomes a catalyst for the conversations that could transform how we understand and support male survivors.

With gratitude and determination,

Taylor McCarten