Crime Prevention Register
Record 6: Boys Talk: A Program for Young Men About Masculinity, Non-Violence and Relationships
| Project title: | Boys Talk: A Program for Young Men About Masculinity, Non-Violence and Relationships |
|---|---|
| Project type: | Developmental Crime Prevention |
| Researchers/contact: | Brook Friedmen |
| Commencement date: | 1987 |
| Location: | SA |
| Funding body/institution: | Australian Violence Prevention Award 1995 |
| Description of the study: | The program advances the view that masculinity is a social construction rather than the product of any natural or biological law. The aims of the project are to, 1) enhance the health and well-being of young men, 2) develop young men's awareness of the construction and effects of gender, 3) encourage young men to have pro-social goals, skills and motivation, and, 4) encourage young men to choose non-violent behaviour. Boys-Talk training and development activities are designed to support youth services and school systems. A ten-week program, including a program manual, has been designed for conducting young men's groups, and train-the-trainer workshops have been developed. The Boys-Talk program is one strategy among many in a whole school/agency system's approach to gender equity. To ensure the greatest chance for sustainable change, this holistic approach needs to involve all young people, their families, school staff, youth service providers and related workers. |
| Description of the outcomes: | The project's strategies have been trialed, developed and implemented by a range of schools, youth custodial institutions, youth health and welfare agencies. Feedback is consistently positive in that the program is considered an efficient and appropriate resource for exploration and support. Participants of Boys-Talk activities generally give feedback of high levels of satisfaction about their involvement. Over two thousand people have participated in young men's and train-the-trainer workshops and there continue to be many requests for Boys-Talk training and development activities. |
| Evaluation: | Unknown. |