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Organization seeks to change men’s behavior toward women
By SEAN BARRON
YOUNGSTOWN
How would you react if you knew your next-door neighbor was battering his wife or girlfriend?
A national organization dedicated to ending violence against women and girls hopes you would cause such an abuser to see that his actions are not OK.
Calling men together to recognize factors that often lead to such violence and providing them with tools to make positive changes was at the heart of Wednesday’s workshop, “Breaking Out of the Man Box.”
Sponsors of the two-hour seminar in Youngstown State University’s Kilcawley Center were the Raymond J. Wean Foundation, A Call to Men’s Youngstown Chapter and YSU police.
The main speaker was Tony Porter, co-founder of the national A Call to Men organization, which encourages “well-meaning” men to be proactive toward ending violence against women and girls.
Porter, of Charlotte, N.C., told his audience of more than 100 that more men need to resist certain patterns of male socialization. They need to step out of the “man box,” which tells males they have to be domineering, not ask for help or overtly show emotions, be strong and in control of all situations and be fearless, Porter noted.
“The reality is that we’re afraid all the time as men, but we’re not allowed to talk about it,” he said.
Many aspects of such socialization provide “a slippery slope” toward some males’ committing or sanctioning violence against women, he explained.
In addition, many boys are taught to see women as less valuable than men, and that females are objects and property. That formula often provides a breeding ground for violence, he continued.
“We’re taught that women are here for our pleasure, comfort and even our entertainment,” Porter said after showing clips of a few beer commercials in which young women are in subservient poses.
To counter such cultural and socialization cues, more men need to take a greater interest in the experiences of women, Porter noted. It’s also critical that fathers educate their young sons on the importance of respecting females and not allow the youngsters to be seduced, for example, by commercials and other images depicting women as trophies, he added.
Also speaking was the Rev. Lewis Macklin, pastor of Holy Trinity Missionary Baptist Church on Youngstown’s South Side.
The Rev. Mr. Macklin shared the effects of his mother’s having been a domestic-violence victim, saying his stepfather caused her to become isolated from her family. He bought her many material items but did so to control her and keep her separated from the family, he explained.
For more information on A Call to Men, visit www.acalltomen.org.