engaging college men

Heartland Campus Safety Summit November 8, 2013

Curt Brungardt, Ph.D. Jana’s Campaign Inc. & Fort Hays State University

Alan Heisterkamp, Ed.D.The Center for Violence Prevention, UNI

Engaging College Men

The Y Factor-Engaging College Men Discussion Outline

• A New Kind of Strength (video)• Why engage men in preventing violence against women• Challenges to engaging men• Defining men’s roles in prevention• What men think (Peter Hart research)• Effective strategies and components in men’s violence prevention• The campus setting: working with men’s groups

(Athletic teams, fraternities, male residential halls/floors, etc.)• Examples of successful programs/campaigns • Further discussion and questions• How can we help

A New Kind of Strength

Growing International Movement“For many years, women around the world have led efforts to prevent and end violence, and today more and more men are adding their support to the women’s movement. Men have a crucial role to play as fathers, friends, decision makers, and community leaders in speaking out against violence against women and ensuring that priority attention is given to the issue. Importantly, men can provide positive role models for young men and boys, based on healthy models of masculinity.”

Growing International Movement

“There is a growing awareness that men, in partnership with women, can play a significant role in ending violence against women. This has led to an increase in programs and activities that focus on men’s roles in violence prevention.”

-Alan Berkowitz

Why Engage Men• Because of the untold harm it causes to women in men’s

lives and the way in which it directly hurts men• Because working with men and boys is necessary• Because there are conflicting signals in what it means to

be a man • Because what men believe other men think is a strong

determent of how they act• Because promising strategies and best practices in

engaging men and boys show effective results• Because many men can and want to help (father,

brother, friend, educator, coach, role model, etc.)(Men’s Nonviolence Project)

Why Engage Men“While most men may never use violence, the simple fact is that men are overwhelming the perpetration of gender-based violence.”

The root causes of gender-based violence can almost exclusively be narrowed down to two things:

– Fundamental conditions of gender inequality– Violent, harmful and controlling aspects of masculinity

(White Ribbon Campaign)

Why Engage Men“Although historically it has been almost entirely women who have been at the forefront addressing this issue, we (A Call to Men) think it is essential that men play a primary role in the solution. To do that, well-meaning men…men who, for the most part don’t see themselves as part of the problem…need to get involved.

We believe that preventing domestic and sexual violence is ultimately the responsibility of men.”

- Tony Porter Co-Founder, A Call to Men

Challenges to Engaging Men

• Many men (who are nonviolent) don’t see how this issue personally relates to them.

• Many men do not think violence against women is a serious issue in our society.

• Many men believe its “other men’s problem” (men with mental health issues, addictions or substance use challenges, men from low income, low education demographics, etc.)

(White Ribbon Campaign)

Challenges to Engaging Men

• Many men just remain silent (the power of protecting other men)

• Many men and boys are hostage to the outdated concept of masculinity that a “real man” is tough, unemotional, powerful, dominate, uncompromising and in control.

• Many men appear to be caught between knowing the importance of speaking out and the unwillingness or perceived lack of knowledge or skill to intervene.

(White Ribbon Campaign)

Defining Men’s Role in Prevention

• Not personally engaging in violence• Intervening against the violence of other men• Addressing the root causes of violence

(Berkowitz)

In terms of engaging men in prevention efforts, one of the most powerful ways to generate empathy and understanding, is to ask men if they had experiences of violence, and how those experiences made them feel.

(The White Ribbon Campaign)

2000 National Study Peter Hart Research, 1000 Men

• 21% not actively involved in community efforts to stop violence against women because no one had asked them

• 16% didn’t have the time• 13% reported they didn’t know how to help• 13% identified reluctance – vilified and perceived

as part of the problem• 11% thought domestic violence was a private

matter and were uncomfortable to get involved

…men’s willingness to intervene to prevent sexual assault is highly correlated with men’s perception of other men’s willingness to intervene (Fabiano et al, 2003).

(The White Ribbon Campaign)

Effective Strategies with Men & Boys

• Correcting men’s misperceptions of each other• Document men’s misperceptions of other men• Address attitudes and beliefs about traditional

masculine values and roles• Teach bystander strategies to intervene with

other men and boys.

Berkowitz, Schewe, 2003

Men’s Athletics

Engaging Men on Campus

Successful Programs

http://www.acalltomen.org/

http://www.whiteribbon.ca/

http://www.mencanstoprape.org/

http://mensworkinc.com/

Successful Programs

http://www.jacksonkatz.com/mvp.html

http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/section/our_work/men_and_boys/_coaching_leadership/

http://www.menengage.org/

http://www.preventconnect.org/2012/05/iowa-mens-action-network/

Further Discussion and Questions

How can we help?

Heisterkamp& Brungardt

alan.heisterkamp@uni.educbrungar@fhsu.edu

When developing and promoting programming for men and boys aimed at preventing violence against women, harmful aspects of masculinity, homophobia, sexism, and other forms of gender-based violence must be addressed.

(The White Ribbon Campaign)