Jackson Katz, educator, filmmaker and creator of the gender violence prevention program, Mentors in Violence Prevention, spoke to students about gender violence in society Thursday evening at the University of Wisconsin Chemistry Building.
In the talk called “The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How All Men Can Help,” Katz discussed many topics such as a man’s role in gender violence, the use of language when addressing gender and the role of bystanders and media in gender violence.
The event was supported by many student organizations like Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment, End Violence On Campus, Wisconsin Union Directorate: Politics and Society, Campus Women’s Center and We’re Better Than That: Men Against Sexual Assault.
Katz talked extensively about how society views gender violence and what are the causes of those views.
“These are huge problems, not only on college campuses but globally,” Katz said.
Rejecting silence: Student survivors take control, speak out on sexual violence
Katz first focused on sexual assault as a problem for men and women in society. He said men’s lives have been vastly improved by the leadership of women. Gender violence also affects men who have experienced domestic violence when they were young, which then perpetuates a cycle of abuse, Katz said.
Katz said the language society uses when talking about assault is important in the victim-blaming phenomenon today. Language like “alleged victim” and “accuser” puts the fault of sexual assault on the victim and not the perpetrator, Katz said.
Katz said the “Bystander Effect,” a social phenomena that refers to cases in which no one impedes sexual harrassment, is important to changing the way society thinks about sexual assault and gender violence. In order for society to change, there needs to be a change in the way individuals talk about the problem, Katz said.
The media is also a large influencer of attitudes and behaviors toward sexual assault in society, Katz said. Pornography, normalization through exposure to violence and misogyny all shape society’s view on gender norms and violence, Katz said.
Katz said men have a greater responsibility to stop sexual assault, and there needs to be a change in attitudes and behaviors in order to reduce gender violence as a whole.
