Creating Solutions to Interrupt Violence
© Next Gen Men 2019
By Jonathon Reed
Peggy Orenstein’s book Boys & Sex is coming out this week, so I spent some time catching up on her work:
“Boys may know when something is wrong; they may even know that true manhood—or maybe just common decency—compels them to speak up. Yet, too often, they fear that if they do, they’ll be marginalized or, worse, themselves become the target of derision from other boys. Masculinity, then, becomes not only about what boys do say, but about what they don’t—or won’t, or can’t—say, even when they wish they could. Silence in the face of cruelty or sexism is how too many boys become men.”
This quote reminded me of the research of Dana Berkowitz, who has published a number of studies on the prevalence of a ‘false consensus’ among men regarding gender-based violence. To paraphrase her, the majority of men who reject patriarchal norms of manhood falsely believe themselves to be in the minority, and the men who perpetrate sexist and violent behaviours do so in part because they falsely believe that they are in the majority.
Finally, looking up that research reminded me of a study that was just published last week on the correlation between boys views about gender and their participation in violence.
“Interpersonal violence prevention efforts should acknowledge the violence to which adolescent males have already been exposed and should involve young men in creating solutions to interrupt such violence in ways that feel authentic and achievable.”
Educators, this is on us. It’s a new decade, and a new half of the school year. Let’s make strategies for challenging sexism and interrupting violence visible in our classroom communities. We can demonstrate practical ways of stepping in and standing up for the new generation of men.
ICYMI This Week
Progressive gender views among teen boys could protect against violence: Study (ABC News)
The Cultural Roots of Loneliness and Violence (Psychology Today)
Philadelphia’s black teen boys lose so many friends to gun violence. Studying how they grieve might help. (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Written by Next Gen Men Program Manager Jonathon Reed as part of Learnings & Unlearnings, a weekly newsletter reflecting on our experiences working with boys and young men. Subscribe to get Learnings & Unlearnings delivered to your email inbox.