Men, Boys, & Violence

When we talk about violence in America, whether it’s mass shootings in the real world or sensationalized violence in our movies and video games, we’re almost always talking about violent masculinity.

The statistics tell the story: the overwhelming majority of violence – sexual assault, mass shootings, murder, and domestic violence resulting in physical injury – is committed by men and boys.

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But even though men and boys commit the vast majority of violence in America, gender is rarely a part of mainstream discussions about violence

Questions for Reflection & Discussion: Why do you think it is that men and boys commit such an overwhelming percentage of violence in America? Does the fact that men and boys are responsible for the vast majority of violence in America imply that most men and boys are violent? Why or why not? What’s the difference between saying that violence is about violent masculinity rather than about violent males?

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