Men in the Movement to End Violence Against Women: Training and Education

This collection highlights several training tools and background information for use in promoting men's involvement in the movement to end violence against women. Also included are educational materials to support the teaching of non-violence to boys and young men. It is one in a series of three special collections focusing on the domestic violence prevention and education efforts of men.

Note: The following list was developed by the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) to serve as a resource for domestic violence advocates and others concerned about safety and justice for women and their children. VAWnet provides these resources as a source of information that you can evaluate on your terms and for your own needs, and inclusion on this list does not constitute an endorsement by the NRCDV.

Curricula/Toolkits

The curricula listed here are specific to efforts aimed primarily at boys and/or young men to prevent violence against women.

Boys-Talk by Brook Friedman and illustrated by Kenton Miller
"Boys-Talk is a personal development program for young men. It examines masculinity, non-violence and relationships. The Boys-Talk program is a practical guide for teachers, youth workers and parent groups to provide young men with support and options as they search for their own understanding of masculinity. The program manual was developed under the auspices of Men Against Sexual Assault and with the support of Child and Youth Health in South Australia. It has been produced in consultation with curriculum officers from the South Australian Department of Education and Children's Services."

Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP): Gender Violence Prevention Education & Training by Jackson Katz
"The Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) Model is a gender violence, bullying, and school violence prevention approach that encourages young men and women from all socioeconomic, racial and ethnic backgrounds to take on leadership roles in their schools and communities. The training is focused on an innovative 'bystander' model that empowers each student to take an active role in promoting a positive school climate."
* Sets of MVP playbooks and trainer's guides are currently available for purchase on a sample basis.

Toolkit for Working with Men and Boys to Prevent Gender-Based Violence by the Family Violence Prevention Fund
"This web site is a comprehensive tool kit designed to help you work with men and boys to prevent gender-based violence. It provides readings, case studies, handouts, exercises, and other resources as well as community-building tools. We suggest following the Recommended Work Plan to fully explore these extensive materials, but you are free to go directly to the sections that address your priorities."

Young Men's Work: Stopping Violence and Building Community [PDF] by Allan Creighton and Paul Kivel
"Young Men's Work is an updated curriculum that helps young men break the cycle of violence passed from generation to generation by addressing the roots of male violence." Includes facilitators guides, handouts, posters, and video.

Articles/Resource Collections

The articles and resource collections listed here are available online for use as supporting material and/or background information for the implementation of training or other educational activities.

Alan Berkowitz - Papers
Papers by Alan Berkowitz include:

  • Engaging Men As Social Justice Allies in Ending Violence Against Women: Evidence for a Social Norms Approach (with Pat Fabiano, Wes Perkins, Jeff Linkenbach and Chris Stark)
  • The Social Norms Approach: Theory, Research and Annotated Bibliography

Jackson Katz - Selected Publications
Selected publications by Jackson Katz include:

  • Building a Big Tent Approach to Ending Men's Violence (2003). Building Partners Initiative. United States Department of Justice. [PDF]
  • The Price Women Pay for Boys Being Boys. (2001, May 13). Seattle Post-Intelligencer , Sunday, pp. D7.

Liz Claiborne - Love is Not Abuse
"Since 1991, Liz Claiborne Inc. has encouraged women and men to speak out on the issue of relationship violence through its award-winning public awareness and educational campaign." Featured resource:

Men Stopping Violence - Literature
"Men Stopping Violence is a social change organization dedicated to ending men's violence against women." Featured articles include:

Paul Kivel Diversity Resources Network
"My colleagues and I have put together this diversity website to offer you articles and books, exercises, bibliographies and videographies, information, and links to other organizations and websites to support your reflection and personal growth, your community education, your activism, and your organizing." Publications specific to preventing men's violence against women include:
  • Young Men's Work: Stopping Violence and Building Community [PDF] by Allan Creighton and Paul Kivel - "Young Men's Work is an updated curriculum that helps young men break the cycle of violence passed from generation to generation by addressing the roots of male violence." Includes facilitators guides, handouts, posters, and video.
  • Articles include "Young White Men Scared, Entitled and Cynical-A Deadly Combination" [PDF] by Paul Kivel (1999) and "Beyond Conflict Resolution" [PDF] by Paul Kivel (2000)

Promundo Institute - Violence Prevention Publications
"This site provides access to the publications, videos and resource materials that we have developed jointly with our partners, and regular updates on events we organize."

xy: men, masculinities and gender politics
"XY is a website focused on men, masculinities and gender politics. XY is a space for the exploration of issues of gender and sexuality, the daily issues of men's and women's lives, and practical discussion of personal and social change. XY features over 80 articles on key 'men's issues', from the state of the men's movement to the relationships between masculinity, class, race and sexuality to domestic violence. XY also includes personal stories, book reviews and links to related websites." Resources specific to men's violence against women include:

Speakers/Trainers

The speakers listed here are highlighted due to their expertise on men's efforts to end sexism and violence against women. This list is not comprehensive - if you have suggestions for additions to this list, please contact VAWnet through the online contact form.

Ben Atherton-Zeman
Ben is a spokesperson for the National Organization for Men Against Sexism and is a public speaker on issues of violence prevention. He has given presentations in 35 states, Canada, China, and the Czech Republic, and is the author of a one-man play, "Voices of Men."
* See a flyer [PDF] for Ben Atherton-Zeman's one-man play, "Voices of Men." This 70-minute, multi-media play deals with several important issues: domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and the objectification of women.

Alan Berkowitz
"Alan Berkowitz is an independent consultant who helps colleges, universities, public health agencies and communities design programs that address health and social justice issues. His expert opinion is frequently sought after by the federal government and professional organizations, and he is well-known for scholarship and innovative programs which address issues of substance abuse, sexual assault, gender, and diversity."

Keith Edwards
"Keith serves as the primary consultant with Men Ending Rape working with college students to end rape by encouraging men to play a significant role in addressing the perpetuation of a campus rape culture. Keith offers campus speaking, help in developing student organizations, and other consulting services on rape prevention and sexual assault programs on college campuses."

Michael Flood
"Dr. Michael Flood is a Research Fellow at the Australia Institute, a public interest think-tank in Canberra. He has published a range of materials on men's violence against women, including pieces on how to engage men in violence prevention and on men's anti-violence activism. Dr. Flood has also been involved in community advocacy and education work focused on violence. He has run a wide range of anti-violence workshops for young men and women in high schools and colleges. He has been involved in community education campaigns such as the White Ribbon Campaign, and groups such as Men Against Sexual Assault. In a community context, Dr. Flood has had a variety of involvements as an educator, speaker, writer and activist on issues of men and gender. He is an articulate and engaging speaker on issues of men, gender, and violence, able to address both men and women in ways which are informed, empowering, and politically sensitive."

Jackson Katz
"Jackson Katz, Ed.M. is one of America's leading anti-sexist male activists. He is widely recognized for his groundbreaking work in the field of gender violence prevention education with men and boys, particularly in the sports culture and the military. He has lectured on hundreds of college and high school campuses and has conducted hundreds of professional trainings, seminars, and workshops in the U.S., Canada, and Japan."
* Trainings & Workshops that are available include "More Than a Few Good Men: Strategies for Inspiring Men and Boys to be Allies in Gender Violence Prevention" and "Teaching Tough Guise."

Michael Kaufman
"Dr. Kaufman is a speaker, writer, and consultant on gender issues. He delivers both keynote talks and interactive workshops for international organizations, governments, and non-governmental organizations; for corporations and professional firms; trade unions and professional associations; universities and high schools. He provides individual gender sensitivity coaching, and he is a consultant and writer on a wide range of gender issues."

Jeff O'Brien
"Jeff O'Brien is the Director of the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) Program at Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society. The multi-racial, mixed gender MVP Program is the first large scale attempt to enlist high school, collegiate and professional athletes in the fight against all forms of men's violence against women. In addition to his work with MVP, O'Brien has presented at numerous professional conferences and community organizations in several states. He was also a member of the team that travelled to Japan to perform MVP training to the US Marines stationed oversees."

Dean Peacock
"Dean Peacock is the South Africa Program Manager and South and East Africa Men as Partners Technical Advisor for Engender Health. In South Africa he provides ongoing training and technical assistance to a wide range of organizations on the development and implementation of the Men as Partners (MAP) Program. For the last 11 years Mr. Peacock has worked in South Africa, the United States and Latin America to end men's violence and to promote egalitarian, non-abusive models of masculinity that improve the lives of men, women and children and contribute to a more just society.".

Educational Videos

The educational videos listed here may be used as training tools in various settings, but speak specifically to men's involvement in the effort to end violence against women and/or concepts regarding the social construction of masculine identities.

Breaking Our Silence
Available through: Gloucester Men Against Domestic Abuse & Media Education Foundation
Producer's Description: "This documentary gives insight into the activist efforts of a group of men in the town of Gloucester, MA. Using footage from anti-violence marches and centering on community men speaking out against violence and domestic abuse, this video is an effective case study of how men can come together to challenge the violent construction of masculinity. With its focus on taking action to make change, Breaking Our Silence is a case study of the theories presented in Media Education Foundation's Tough Guise." 11 minutes

DreamWorlds II: Desire, Sex, and Power in Music Video
Available through: Media Education Foundation
Producer's description: "DreamWorlds II powerfully illustrates the systematic representations of women in music video, and how these representations tell a dangerous and narrow set of stories about what it means to be female or male; stories which impact how women think about themselves sexually, and how men think sexually about women. Shocking and often disturbing, DreamWorlds II gives us a critical distance from images which have become so ubiquitous, and normal, they are almost invisible." Note: This film contains graphic images of rape and objectification of women. Recommended for high school audience or older. © 1996, 56 minutes
* Study Guide [PDF]

Killing Us Softly 3: Advertising's Image of Women
Available through: Media Education Foundation
Producer's description: "Jean Kilbourne's pioneering work helped develop and popularize the study of gender representation in advertising. In this important video, Kilbourne takes viewers on a tour to see how the image of women in advertising has changed over the last 20 years. Questions addressed are... Does the beauty ideal still tyrannize women? Does advertising still objectify women's bodies? Are the twin themes of liberation and weight control still linked? Is sexuality still presented as women's main concern? Are young girls still sexualized and grown women infantilized? Are images of male violence against women still used to sell products?" Discusses the link between objectification and violence, and demonstrates how advertising trivializes violence against women. © 2000, 34 minutes
* Study Guide [PDF]

MACHO
Available through: Women Make Movies, Inc.
This video documentary was produced by the BBC and chronicles the work that the Men's Group of Managua (Grupo de Hombres Contra la Violencia de Managua - GHCV) has been doing to combat violence against women. The GHCV is made up of grassroots activists in Nicaragua who have been involved in innovative community education work as well as a national media campaign that calls upon men to take responsibility for male violence and end it. The interviews with members of the GHCV are in Spanish with English subtitles. © 2000, 26 minutes

Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls
Available through: Media Education Foundation
Producer's description: "In this exclusive, illustrated interview, Mary Pipher, Ph.D., discusses the challenges facing today's teenagers, especially girls, as well as the role of media and popular culture in shaping their identities. She offers concrete ideas for girls and boys, families, teachers, and schools to help girls free themselves from the toxic influences of today's media-saturated culture." This video discusses experiences of both girls ad boys, providing an in-depth look at how society may perpetuate or enhance common struggles of teenagers. Excellent basis for classroom discussion; appropriate for middle school age and older, as well as parents and teachers. © 1998, 35 minutes
* Study Guide [PDF]

Together: Stop Violence Against Women
Available through: Lifetime Television
This powerful program highlights the stories of four survivors who experienced domestic violence in marriage, acquaintance rape on a college campus, battering with immigrant status, and stranger sexual assault with stalking. Each woman shares her personal struggles for survival. Also spotlighted are men in the movement to end violence against women, including Jackson Katz of the Mentors for Violence Prevention Program. Producer's description: "An original, thought-provoking documentary about women who found the courage to stop the violence in their lives. The program features interviews with these brave individuals as well as with advocates, friends and family members who helped them escape their violent situations." © 2003, 60 minutes (with ads)

Tough Guise: Media Images and The Crisis in Masculinity
Available through: Media Education Foundation
Two parts: "Understanding Violent Masculinity" and "Violent Masculinity in Action." Examines the relationship between the images of popular culture and the social construction of masculine identities, using excerpts from movies, music videos, and other media representations. Addresses Latino, African American, Native American, Asian American, and Caucasian boys and men. Recommended for grades 9 to adult. Narrated by Jackson Katz, founder of the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) Program. Shows some images of sexualized violence, no nudity. © 1999, 57 minutes
* Study Guide [PDF]

Wrestling with Manhood: Boys, Bullying & Battering
Available through: Media Education Foundation
Producer's description: "Wrestling with Manhood is the first educational program to pay attention to the enormous popularity of professional wrestling among male youth, addressing its relationship to real-life violence and probing the social values that sustain it as a powerful cultural force. Richly illustrating their analysis with numerous examples, Sut Jhally and Jackson Katz – the award-winning creators of the videos Dreamworlds and Tough Guise, respectively – offer a new way to think about the enduring problems of men’s violence against women and bullying in our schools." © 1999, 57 minutes
* Study Guide [PDF]

Young Men's Work: Stopping Violence and Building Community
Available through: Hazelden Video
A video by Paul Kivel of Oakland Men's Project that discusses the role of men in reducing male violence in society.   © 1998, 27 minutes (Curriculum includes: 1 Facilitator's Guides, 11 Handbooks, 1 Video, and 1 Poster Set.)

The resources listed on this page are not comprehensive and/or all-inclusive. Each link above will open in a new browser window - NRCDV is not responsible for the content and/or viewpoints expressed on web sites external to VAWnet.


VAWnet is a project of the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence in collaborative partnership with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center
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