In episode 120 of The Just Checking In Podcast, we checked in with Davelle Heath.
Davelle Heath is a PHD candidate at Lancaster University. His PHD study aims to explore and understand the lived experiences of Black American men that have been sexually assaulted by women via the ‘made-to-penetrate’ tactic as an adult.
In this episode we discuss Davelle’s journey into academia and the reasons he wanted to explore this topic of male sexual abuse by female perpetrators.
We outline the scale of this problem and the research and factors behind it, sexual racism black men face in wider society, the stigma men face in reporting their sexual abuse and recognising the abuse happened to them at all.
We also explore Davelle’s upbringing and the sexual abuse he experienced at the hands of both male and female perpetrators in his childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
Davelle’s life could have ended up in a very different place after he joined a gang as a teenager.
We talk about how and why he joined it and how he ended up in prison for a period of time, a suicide attempt and subsequent hospitalisation and how through reflection and self-improvement, he has got to where he is today.
As always, #itsokaytovent
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TRIGGER WARNING: This podcast contains deep and detailed discussions about sexual abuse and suicide, which some listeners may find extremely upsetting or distressing, so please listen with caution.
