Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

[Robert Franklin <>]

I am writing to comment on the few emails addressing who has a good program
who has a bad program who gets it all wrong . . .  . as we try to involve
men in the prevention of sexual violence.  I have seen John Foubert and 1 in
4 take many hits about the program or personally, I have heard folks discuss
MVP and Jackson Katz about how great or how unhappy they are with the
program or presentation.  In this feild it always floors me how quickly we
are to not trust and shut down others aiming for the same goal - to end
sexual violence.

Let's take the men's program since that has come up recently.  Here is a
program that appears to get men, fraternity men involved and willing to take
their message across campus and the nation.  Men who many belive cannot be
allies to begin with.  Have you seen thier energy, have you looked at the
training manuel.  The manuel by itself is chalk full of information and any
peer education group using it to understand sexual violence would be well
prepared.  Yeah, there are times that the video is hard for me to watch but
I tell you it is reaching some men who have not gotten this issue in the
past.  And there's the data to show this too. (speaking of data - there is
some interesting research that shows promise and gives some understanding
about social norms.  Why it has not worked to well  or been difficult to
apply to this issue and how to apply social norms in a way that seems to
change men's attitude and knowledge)  and yes, I realize I have placed
social norms stuff next to one in four stuff and yet my keyboard has burst
in to flames.


Now to the point and a little back ground.  I provide sexual violence
prevention training for the state of Virginia through the Health Department.
My target population can be summed up as "From the hoods to the woods" I am
talking to folks who have NEVER really been invited to be a part of the
dialogue on how we can involve men in prevent (except for the shaming and
blaming approach).  I have used for trainings and workshops such fine folks
as Men Can Stop Rape, John Foubert, Christopher Kilmartin, MVP. and they ALL
help me reach my audiance.  Think of them as kitchen tools, I have yet to
see the spoonabowlfryblend that truely works.  The spoon is a great tool but
it ain't gonna get that cut my spam to well, does that mean I throw it out?
Now how to I eat my soup?

The point is this a complex issue, we need all the tools we can use but the
bigger question that I feel people are afraid to ask or afraid to see in
reality is . .

DO WE BRING MEN TO THE MOVEMENT OR BRING THE MOVEMENT TO MEN?

That is the 800 pound gorilla we need to understand and address.  I do
trainings all the time for professionals and regular folks that will never
be gay affirmative and pro-feminist is a stretch.  For many, God would need
to come down and personnaly state that homosexualtiy was "OK" Does this mean
these men can never be allies?  Does this mean they have no role as mentors
or fathers or peers to address some of these issues?  These are groups of
men that have not been approached or invited and if they showed up at a
sexual assault center meeting I think some folks would call the police.  We
need these men, we need the programs that reach them.  Concepts like
"benevolent sexism" are good and they give us better understanding of how we
can better address men's sexual violence prevention but mentions that to
some of the folks I see from way in the county or the inner city and you
ain't going to go to far, that is a Men 491 level class and we need a 101
level or GED level some times. It don't mean men are dumb, just starting a
little late.

Thank you for letting me get my thoughts out and keep doing the great work I
am sure all of you do.

Walk Good

Bob

---PLEASE NOTE NEW INFO as of 12/15/03---
Robert L. Franklin, MS
Male Outreach Coordinator for
Sexual Violence Prevention
Center for Injury and Violence Prevention
Virginia Department of Health
109 Governor Street, 8th Floor
Richmond VA 23219
Phone: (804) 864-7739
Fax: (804) 864-7748

email: 

web: http://www.menendingviolence.com
web: http://www.vahealth.org/civp/sexualviolence


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