ENGAGING MEN:
Campus Attitudes and Behaviors
The It’s On Us team is proud to release Engaging Men: National Campus Sexual Assault Attitudes and Behaviors Overview.
This project is the first of its kind to explore the attitudes and perceptions of male-identiyfing
students and their likelihood to get involved in the prevention of gender-based violence on campus
THEMATIC FINDINGS
MEN AREN’T CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROBLEM
Most participants were unaware of the extent of sexual violence on campus. While some schools have had high profile incidents, several respondents thought these were all isolated incidents. Framing the issue as solely a Greek life problem means that many participants did not think the issue affected them or their school.
CURRENT TRAININGS ARE INADEQUATE
The vast majority of participants reported that the prevention trainings they received, often online-only, were boring and ineffective. Positive prevention education experiences were in-person and included an interactive component like a certification. One student spoke highly of a comedian who came to campus and did a stand-up set about her own assault.
MEN NEED NON-MALE FRIENDS AND ROLE MODELS
The respondents most attuned to the issue of sexual violence had strong friendships with women on campus. Co-ed sports teams, for example, foster an equitable and inclusive environment on campus between participants across the gender spectrum, leading to less objectification. By contrast, respondents reported that male-only groups like fraternities incubate toxic masculinity, such as misogynistic views toward non-male peers.
MEN DON’T KNOW HOW TO HELP
The men in the study expressed a desire to help but didn’t feel they had the right tools to intervene. They expressed interest in training that would teach them how to intervene and deescalate situations involving sexual violence. The majority see themselves as moral people and want to do the right thing, but they just don’t know how.