New York, April 15 (IANS): Although most sex assault victims are usually girls, the boys too face such attacks and the resultant stigma, a new study reveals.

One in three teenage boys attempt suicide after they're sexually assaulted, though most incidents usually go unreported, the study found.

"The stigma is often not addressed. It's a silent issue in society," said lead researcher Laura Anderson.

"Very rarely does programming address boys. It's often presumed to be an issue for girls," the psychologist from the University at Buffalo added.

Anderson noticed in her practice that teenage patients who attempted suicide tended to share the same histories of sexual assault and struggles with weight, media reports said.

The study looked at the data of more than 31,000 teens aged 14-18 from 2009 and 2011 in the Youth and Risk Behaviour Survey.

Anderson found 3.5 percent of boys with a healthy weight had attempted suicide, while 33.2 percent of boys who had been the victim of sexual assault attempted to take their life.

As for girls, the study found 5.8 percent of girls with a healthy weight and no sexual assault history had attempted suicide.

That rate jumped to 27.1 percent for girls who were sexually assaulted.

"The results highlight the need to educate the public and develop preventive programming and support for male and female sexual assault survivors," Anderson said.

Anderson said under-reporting was common, especially among boys.

The study was published in Suicide and Life Threatening Behaviour.