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  • Writer's pictureLeah Jewett

“It starts with words”: male violence and how to talk about it with your child


Stand up, speak out slogan from White Ribbon also reading: End violence against women and girls

Violence against women & girls is so prevalent it has its own acronym: VAWG.

A poster with a handprint reading: Stop violence against women and children

Actually we also like the term “violence against women & children”.


VAWG is also known as GBV, or gender-based violence. Sometimes it’s surprising to think that violence can include things like sexual comments, sending nudes without consent, victim blaming/slut shaming and sexual harassment as well as unwanted touch.


The good news is that we can make inroads into tackling, preventing and ending VAWG now, all of us, by raising awareness about it with our kids.


Start off with these things to read, watch and do that have come up lately in the news…

A banner reading "Read"

WHAT CAN YOU SAY TO YOUR CHILD about Andrew Tate, the 35-year-old social media influencer whose violent and misogynistic TikTok clips, which by August had 13 billion views, have alarmed teachers? He presents himself as strong, successful, defiant, anti-woke, controlling his emotions, a player. And, says gender-equality charity Bold Voices, kids aged 11-18 want to discuss Tate and his messages and values.

3 subtitled clips from Andrew Tate videos – he is wearing sunglasses in each

We agree with them that:

  • It’s important to disrupt Tate’s ideas by naming them – for example: misogyny, hate speech, homophobia and racism

  • It’s important to help your child develop critical thinking skills and good decision-making about calling out and not taking part in this culture of gender-based violence


So consult the great Bold Voices toolkit How To Talk To Young People About Andrew Tate



EXTRA CREDIT!

LISTEN TO Should I Be Worried My Son Likes Andrew Tate?21-minute Mamamia podcast (Help! I Have A Teenager with Dr Ginni Mansberg and Jo Lamble, 3/11/22)




BE INSPIRED BY some of the thought-provoking content in the teachers’ toolkit Ending Gender-based Violence and Abuse in Young People’s Relationships from arts charity Tender and the Mayor of London. Could you bring up any of this with your child…


  • What do you think of common statements about violence like:

Poster reading: "Boys will be boys (with second "boys" crossed out) held accountable for their actions. Just like girls"

“If someone hit me, I’d just hit them back”

“Women often ‘cry rape’”

“They did it because they were drunk” “They must have done something to start it”

  • We are all responsible for stopping misogynistic behaviour

  • Misogynistic behaviour and sexual harassment are meant to intimidate and humiliate

  • About power: relationships with our friends and girl/boy/friends should be equal

  • Consent is about giving permission – it’s not the absence of “no”

  • Make a Temperature Line of what’s healthy and unhealthy in an intimate relationship. Write or print out these words. Cut them up. Put them in healthy-to-unhealthy order:

scratching pinching hugging hitting teasing kicking trust cheating sex crying pushing calling secrets kissing shouting slapping anger arguing laughing blame support lying listening control texting respect smiling jealousy sharing consent


EXTRA CREDIT!

READ Soma Sara: “We must act, because no woman or girl should be scared to walk home” (Glamour UK, 8/11/22)


Banner reading: "Watch"

LOOK AT THEN SHOW YOUR TEENAGER the 2-minute video Have A Word (we found the end moving). It was made by the Mayor of London, whose site Have A Word With Yourself, Then With Your Mates explains what misogyny is, how to call out problematic behaviour and these common sexist phrases to challenge:


2 stills from Have A Word video of an angry young man and a sad young woman

“Boys will be boys” “She’s asking for it dressed like that” “My ex-girlfriend is crazy” “She’s such a drama queen”



Still from Have A Word video of a young black man with the subtitle "That's enough"

Its message:


Male violence against women

& girls starts with words.


If you see it happening,

say something

EXTRA CREDIT! READ Men are being encouraged to protect women in a new campaign – but it’s been met with a mixed response (Cosmopolitan, 15/3/22)

Banner reading: "Do"

ENCOURAGE YOUR SON (and/or your daughter) to sign the White Ribbon promise:

White Ribbon pledge: I promise to never commit, excuse or remain silent about male violence against women

Its stance: all men can choose to be an ally. And because this year