Preventing sexual violence starts with what we teach our boys

[DesertRat]

Most girls and women in the United States are given advice about rape prevention: never let your drink out of your sight, don’t walk alone at night, don’t wear revealing outfits or high heels, and so on. We live in a society where violence against women—both in action and in speech—is prevalent, and for that reason, it’s reasonable for those who care about women and girls to worry about their safety. But what are men and boys being taught, as girls are given this advice?

Research confirms that parents talk more frequently with daughters than sons about these issues, and tend to frame conversations around reducing the risk of assault. Survey data have even revealed widespread confusion (more pronounced among men than women) over the mere concepts of consent and sexual assault. Few people receive formal education on either topic, in school or from parents; to whatever extent conversations about risk reduction might help individual girls think about their safety, they are ultimately ineffective when it comes to prevention.

Though little research has evaluated the effectiveness of educational approaches to reducing violence against women, there are some promising theory-based primary prevention strategies currently in practice that focus on the role of conventional gender norms in sexual violence perpetration.

For instance, Coaching Boys into Men, a program delivered by high school coaches to male athletes, was designed based on evidence that dating violence is typically perpetrated by young men who demonstrate negative attitudes toward women and promote abuse. Compared to athletes who did not participate in the program, those assigned to this intervention were better at recognizing abusive behaviors and more likely to intervene when they did.

Education alone is by no means a panacea, but it is undoubtedly a solid start. This education, like all good prevention, should start early and occur often. It should go beyond what girls can do to prevent being victims, to the attitudes that boys have about women and about masculinity, and the actions that men can take to promote mutual respect and egalitarianism.

https://www.childtrends.org/preventing-sexual-violence-starts-teach-boys

[malaise]

1. +1,000

So true

[Wellstone ruled]

2. All about role models

and treating each other with respect.

[IluvPitties]

3. My dad, since I was a kid, made a point

"You must be a gentleman with women, at all times. You came from a woman, so you need to treat girls as you want people to treat your mom or your daughter, if you happen to have one in the future."

Mind you, he was still a very imperfect man. A womanizer and a man who engaged in verbal and emotional abuse against my mother constantly. Still, he wanted me to be better than him, in a way. He has also always been proud of being a ladies' man, and part of that pride involved not having to force yourself on anyone to get laid.

[wasupaloopa]

4. As a boy I never needed to be taught not to molest girls. We weren't cave men.

Treating people right encompasses not molesting girls. You learn to treat people right by learning societies norms and customs.

In 7th and 8th grade we went to ball room dancing classes. We learned respect for the opposite sex by spending a lot of time dancing with them at a young age.

[lostnfound]

5. They talk to girls more than boys because boys are snarling little creeps that don't ever listen

Having a bad day here.

Grrrrr.

Correction: snarling hateful little creeps. And yes, I want to tell the whole world about it, in case you’re reading my communications again.