The impact of therapy on male survivors of sexual assault: A Q&A with David Gadd

12 Jan 2026

Professor David Gadd received funding from the Humanities Strategic Civic Engagement Fund (HSCEF) in 2024 for his collaborative project on evaluating the impact of a pioneering therapeutic intervention for male prisoners who are victims of sexual abuse and assault.

Each year, the HSCEF, the Faculty’s flagship social responsibility fund, provides funding to several projects that aim to improve communities across Greater Manchester.

In 2024, David Gadd, Professor of Criminology, was a recipient of funding. He used it to develop a collaborative project with Greater Manchester charity We Are Survivors which evaluated the impact of therapeutic intervention for male prisoners who are victims of sexual abuse and assault.

With the support of We Are Survivors and researchers across the University, the project has informed the creation of a new service provision for male prisoner-survivors, offering further support once they leave custody.

We spoke to David to find out more about what inspired the project and the impact it has had.

Can you tell us more about your project?

Researchers at the University collaborated with We Are Survivors to develop an evaluation of a pioneering therapeutic intervention for male prisoners who are victims of sexual assault. The therapy service supports male prisoners who have experienced sexual assaults inside prison, as well as children before entering custody.

Most of these therapy clients have kept their experiences of abuse to themselves for many years, and some only begin to disclose what has happened to them after they themselves have committed serious crimes that they later understand to be connected to their own experiences of trauma.

The work of our research team, including Dr Emily Turner and Professor Filippo Varese, was to establish what meaningful change would look like to prisoner-survivors, noting that some had little chance of seeing those who had harmed them face justice. The research team also had to keep in mind that many were restricted by being in prison, with relationships being impacted by the social isolation that imposes.

What did you hope to achieve with your project?

A core aim of the project was to establish the importance of considering the fullness of prisoner-survivors’ stories alongside metrics that relate to mental wellbeing in evaluation research of this kind.

How did your project support the University's social responsibility and civic engagement priorities?

The project has supported the University’s strategic vision for social responsibility and civic engagement by helping to address the underexplored issue of sexual assaults on male prisoners to enhance survivors’ wellbeing, challenge societal norms and amplify marginalised voices.

The project’s report has been shared with trusted stakeholders of We Are Survivors, which includes representatives from the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, NHS England, Victims Commissioners, and the Sentencing Review Council.

How was your project enhanced and inspired by our location in Greater Manchester?

The fieldwork for the research was based in the North-West and takes inspiration from the pioneering work of We Are Survivors, which has been establishing the need for services for male sexual assault since 2009.

What has been the biggest impact that your project has had?

The project has informed the development of new service provision in Greater Manchester that provides continuity of support for prisoner survivors when they leave custody. The service is called OUT Side OUT Spoken and has been created to further support clients who have either been recently released, or are near to being released from prison.

It is bespoke and designed to cater to each individual, providing holistic support across mental health and wellbeing, resettlement and pro-social engagement. The aim is to successfully support men through the process of attending professional appointments, finding housing for the first time and accessing other support services.

The research was a central feature of the Award for Public Understanding that I received in 2025 from the Association for Male Health and Wellbeing.

In relation to your project, is there anything planned for the future?

Further funding has been secured for the Research Associate on the project to continue the work in an NWSSDTP ESRC Case Studentship PhD until 2029.