Group Education Manual - Peace Corps Wiki

? What can you and other men do to stop violence in yourcommunity?ClosingLinks:Violence can be defined as the use of force (or the threat of force) by one individualagainst another. Violence is often used as a way to control another person, to havepower over them. It happens all around the world and often stems from the wayindividuals, especially men, are raised to deal with anger and conflict. It is commonlyassumed that violence is a “natural” or “normal” part of being a man. However,violence is a learned behavior, and in that sense, it can be unlearned and prevented.As discussed in other sessions, men are often socialized to repress their emotions,and anger is sometimes one of the few socially acceptable ways for men to expresstheir feelings. Moreover, men are sometimes raised to believe that they have the“right” to expect certain things from women (domestic tasks or sex, for example),and the right to use physical or verbal abuse if women do not provide these things.Men may also resort to violence to assert their views or decisions, thereby makingcommunication among partners about condom-usage, sex, and HIV almostimpossible. It is important to think about how these rigid gender roles regardinghow men should express their emotions and how they should interact with womenare harmful both to men and their relationships. In your daily lives, it is essentialthat you, as men, think about what you can do to speak out against other men’s useof violence.This activity can also be linked to the earlier one on “Expressing My Emotions”and to a discussion about how to handle anger.69