Why Men And Boys?
Sexual Violence: Whose Problem Is It Anyway?
Top Ten Reasons from the Family Violence Prevention Fund
- Most men do not agree with men's violence, yet do nothing to challenge or stop it - these men need to be mobilized to prevent violence.
- Some men are already working to prevent violence but lack support; many more would like to get involved but don't know how.
- Many women want men to step up and take a stand against violence.
- Men commit most of the violence - it is up to them to stop it
- Men are not born violent-they become violent as a result of beliefs and norms about what it means to be a man. Work with men and boys can change these beliefs and norms and support men in rejecting violence
- Men have the potential to stop violence. Not only can they choose to not perpetrate acts of violence, they can choose to challenge the attitudes and assumptions that support gender-based violence.
- Gender-based violence continues despite years of antiviolence work. The missing piece is effective violence prevention work with men. (For statistics on violence in the United States, see Get the Facts.)
- Men experience violence too-many are survivors but few get the support they need to heal from their experience. (See RAINN Statistics for data on men experiencing sexual assault.)
- Men and boys listen to their peers-we need to mobilize men and boys to spread the violence prevention message in their families, workplaces, and communities.
- Decision makers and opinion leaders are mostly men-we need to work with them to get the political, financial, and moral support necessary to prevent gender-based violence.