Prevention Strategies

Prevention: Suggestions for Ending Sexism & Male Violence Against Women**

While beneficial in all cases, the following actions are particularly powerful agents of change when done by men.

• Understand how your own attitudes and actions perpetuate sexism and violence, and work toward changing them.
• Confront sexist, racist, homophobic and all other bigoted remarks and jokes.
• Use positive peer pressure to help stop abusive behaviors that may lead to acquaintance sexual assault. For example, when over-hearing someone talk about taking advantage of a partner sexually, let them know you think this is wrong. Silence can be mistaken for approval.
• Don’t fund sexism. Don’t purchase magazines or music, or rent videos or video games, that portray women in a sexually degrading or violent manner. Protest sexism in the media.
• Read articles, essays, books about masculinity, gender inequality, and the root causes of sexual violence. Educate yourself and others about the connections between larger social forces and the conflicts between individual women and men.
• Support candidates for political office who are committed to the full social, economic and political equality of women. Actively oppose candidates who are not.
• Organize or join a group of men to work against sexism and violence (like Men Acting for Change here at Duke).
• Support individuals and agencies who are on the forefront in working to end all forms of violence against children, women and men. Commit yourself to ending oppression in all its forms.

**Adapted from: Real Men, P.O. Box 1769, Brookline, MA 02146