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Abstract
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VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The goal of this article by Katz was to describe the Mentors in Violence Prevention program, a program targeted to college athletes and designed to encourage athlete role modeling to reduce violence against women.
METHODOLOGY:
A non-experimental description of the program was the primary methodology for this paper. Some literature was also cited.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
The Mentors in Violence Program (MVP) was said to be one of the few that used discussions of masculinity as a part of their structure. This program was based on the belief that attitudes about masculinity underlie much of male violence. The program used men to lead the discussions with male athletes because of the improved ability to speak openly about the issues in an all-male group. The single most important characteristic of this program, the author said, was the provision of a structured discussion for men to discuss masculinity. One goal of this program was described as a contribution to a change in the way masculinity is constructed. The change, the author said, would be that strength for men would be less often equated with dominance over women. Male athletes were used as the targets of the training because of their power to help shape attitudes about male behavior among young males. Rape and other assaultive behaviors against women have been found to be somewhat normative and occurring in environments supportive of that behavior. Given this, the developers of the MVP program sought to encourage male student-athletes to delegitimize these situations by standing up against the domination-oriented definitions of masculinity that allow them to happen. Most men, however, were said to stay out of such situations; it was thought that if athletes would get involved, they could serve as credible role models to break these notions.
The MVP program offered three 90 minute sessions each year. Each participating sports team met roughly once a month before or after their season. A presentation was given to the coaching staff prior to the scheduling of athlete sessions. The MVP Playbook was the key teaching tool. This consisted of a series of party and residence hall scenarios portraying thirteen actual and potential sexual assaults ranging from sexist comments to threats of physical harm. Scenarios also included harassment of gays and lesbians. Bystander behavior was important in the scenarios; some scenarios also included men as potential perpetrators. The scenarios were as realistic as possible. In an interactive atmosphere, possible thinking patterns and interventions were discussed. A focus on bystander behavior was said to decrease defensiveness among the men and reinforce the fact that passive response to such behavior constitutes acceptance of female-abusive behavior. Discussions that ensued from the scenarios, often surrounding real-life situations the athletes had experienced, were used to discuss a number of issues including the cause of abusive behavior and its relationships to masculinity, emphasizing the critical role men were said to play in the reduction of violence against women. Violence against women was thought of as a continuum ranging from sexist comments and jokes to physical assault. A fourth session was used for those athletes who would go into middle and high schools and speak about men's violence against women. These youth were selected on the basis of reputations and records that were consistent with their public commitment to work against sexism. The message was not all-inclusive but, instead, focused on a streamlined approach to get the message out to as many as possible. These youth, in conjunction with a member from MVP, went out on speaking engagements and youth outreach/education as well as participating in the workshops.
Some history of the program was given. The author said that it had its roots in the social construction of violent masculinity through sports and media. It was funded by a FIPSE grant to target athletes, a previously overlooked group. Analysis of available data for evaluation of the program showed some improvement in attitudes about intervening in incidents (as measured by a pre- and post-program survey). Other qualitative feedback has indicated that it is a popular program. Expansion was said to be planned into female athletic circles. The focus of the overall plan was to emphasize the leadership abilities of student athletes to help change attitudes toward violence against women.
(CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
College Student
College Athlete
Adult Male
Adult Offender
Adult Violence
Male Offender
Male Violence
Violence Against Women
Athlete Violence
Violence Prevention
Prevention Program
College Campus
Rape Prevention
Rape Offender
Sexual Assault Offender
Sexual Assault Prevention
Program Description
Mentoring |