Educating Men
The Culture of Masculinity
and Violence Against Women
The Need for Educating Men
• With half the world’s population being
women, the disproportion of the violence
perpetrated by men against women is a
historical constant. Of the many proposed
solutions to the problem, the education of
men has proved to be significant in ending
violence imposed on women.
Society: Posed Problems
• Men are by far the primary perpetrators of
violence against women, with rape and
domestic abuse being very common. This
is, in part, because the patriarchal system
of almost all major world societies
educates and even promotes that this is
acceptable behavior. The most obvious
reflection of these messages encouraging
male violence (other than male violence
itself) can be found in the media.
The Media’s Role
• As stated in “Tough Guise”, the media
don’t name violence as a gender issue.
For example, a news station wouldn’t
report “how many men raped girls,” but
rather “how many girls were raped.”
• It is important, however, to reveal
contradicting truths that the media does
not present.
Statistics supporting the idea that violence, in particular violence
against women, is a a gender issue*:
• 85% of murderers are men (and many female killers
act in self defense)
• 95% of domestic violence is maleperpetrated
• 1 in 4 men will use violence on a partner
(concequence: 1 in 4 women will be a victim)
• 85-95% of child sexual abuse is maleperpetrated
* Statistics presented in the film “Tough Guise”
How does the media reinforce
patriarchal ideas promoting
violence against women?
• The media provides images of manhood
that are defined by power, violence, and
control.
• Sports culture such as wrestling: the
celebration of violence connects being a
man with abusive acts.
• In the media, men are almost always
shown as the perpetrators of violence.
• Images of men dominating women in ads
imply that women want to be forced to
have sex, and that it is an accepted social
norm for a male to be violent towards
women.
Violent Masculinity:
What does it mean for men?
• From childhood on, males receive a
constant message concerning their gender
identity:
Manhood is connected with power,
control, and violence.
Invulnerability
• With these ideals for manhood comes
another expectation for males: the idea
that a real man is not only strong
physically (proved through violence), but
emotionally as well.
And violence?
• If a real man must maintain an
appearance of emotional invulnerability, he
does not have society’s permission to
express himself emotionally or receive
help. Many males use violence (against
women as well as against other men) as a
way to express their frustrations, while
also living up to the “powerful male”
expectation that society idealizes.