The Bystander Approach and the Need for Men’s Help-Indiana Blogger- Courtney

The bystander approach suggests that “individuals in a community can intervene when faced with situations involving interpersonal violence,” and this approach is often used in sexual assault prevention programs (Dick, A., McMahon, S., 2011).  Because interpersonal violence (IPV), in specific physical and sexual assault, and stalking, consists of violence inflicted on women more so than men, recent research has focused on the need of men to be involved in IPV programs.

However, men are less likely to intervene due to socially constructed expectations of what it is to be masculine, which consists of being heterosexual, strong and sexually able. Men may not intervene when seeing or hearing about IPV due to fear other men will think they are homosexual or weak, due to these social norms.

In a study on male’s attitudes of the bystander approach (Dick, A., McMahon, S., 2011) it was found that men do in fact think IPV is a very serious problem, and it is should be the responsibility of men to act on it.  However, the researchers also found that males still express anxiety when talking about actually intervening, which again suggests that cultural definitions of masculinity may make men hesitant in getting involved in IPV prevention programs. 

This study really makes me wonder about our power to change social norms and gendered expectations.  One of my Gender Studies professors constantly emphasizes that because social norms and scripts are socially constructed, we, as a society have the power to change them.  Because more women are sexually assaulted then men, it is viewed as a “woman’s issue,” and thus women are expected to be the ones that are proactive in preventing sexual assault, while similar expectations may men resist intervening in fear of threatening their masculinity.  These social norms are glued to our minds because of the way sexual assault, femininity and masculinity are depicted in our society, and only WE have the power to alter these norms to make the world a better and safer place for both genders to live simultaneously/at the same time.