Men and Gender Violence

Dr. Jackson Katz

Submitted by Erica Dimmett, HELP of Door County, Inc.

“If we can achieve a society where it is more normal for men to speak out against gender violence than it is for them to commit it, we’ll be a lot healthier society than we are today.” ~ Jackson Katz

Dr. Jackson Katz is one of America’s leading anti-sexist male activists who is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking work in gender violence prevention and education. His work in the field of gender violence is focused on the idea that men within society must take responsibility for the violence that men perpetrate against women and that social norms regarding violence against women must be questioned and confronted. Dr. Katz was quoted as saying that “social change is a messy process. We need more men with the guts to stand up and say abusive behavior is abusive behavior, and it’s not right, and it doesn’t make me less of a man to point that out.”

Here are some ideas from http://www.jacksonkatz.com explaining what men can do to prevent and confront gender violence within our society:

Ten Things Men can do to Prevent Gender Violence

1. Approach gender violence as a “men’s” issue involving men of all ages and socio-economic, racial and ethnic backgrounds. View men not only as perpetrators or possible offenders, but as empowered bystanders who can confront abusive peers

2. If a brother, friend, classmate, or teammate is abusing his female partner – or is disrespectful or abusive to girls and women in general – don’t look the other way. If you feel comfortable doing so, try to talk to him about it. Urge him to seek help. Or if you don’t know what to do, consult a friend, a parent, a professor, or a counselor. Don’t remain silent.

3. Have the courage to look inward. Question your own attitudes. Don’t be defensive when something you do or say ends up hurting someone else. Try hard to understand how your own attitudes and actions might inadvertently perpetuate sexism and violence, and work toward changing them.

4. If you suspect that a woman close to you is being abused or has been sexually assaulted, gently ask if you can help.

5. If you are emotionally, psychologically, physically, or sexually abusive to women, or have been in the past, seek professional help now.

6. Be an ally to women who are working to end all forms of gender violence. Raise money for community-based rape crisis centers and battered women’s shelters.

7. Recognize and speak out against homophobia and gay-bashing. Discrimination and violence against lesbians and gays are wrong in and of themselves. This abuse also has direct links to sexism (eg. the sexual orientation of men who speak out against sexism is often questioned, a conscious or unconscious strategy intended to silence them. This is a key reason few men do so).

8. Attend programs, take courses, watch films, and read articles and books about multicultural masculinities, gender inequality, and the root causes of gender violence. Educate yourself and others about how larger social forces affect the conflicts between individual men and women.

9. Don’t fund sexism. Refuse to purchase any magazine, rent any video, subscribe to any website, or buy any music that portrays girls or women in a sexually degrading or abusive manner. Protest sexism in the media.

10. Mentor and teach young boys about how to be men in ways that don’t involve degrading or abusing girls and women. Volunteer to work with gender violence prevention programs, including anti-sexist men’s programs. Lead by example.

If you or someone you know is unsafe and would like to speak to an advocate please call HELP of Door County, Inc at 920.743.8818 or the Sexual Assault Center at 920.746.8996.

This article is brought to you in part by the Door County Coordinated Response (CCR) to Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Teams.