"Coaching boys into men": Addressing gender attitudes and bystander behavior among adolescent male athletes to reduce violence against women

Male perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault (SA) against women is prevalent among youth; an estimated 15% of 8th and 9th grade male students report having ever perpetrated dating violence with 6% of high school males reporting severe physical or sexual violence perpetration in the past year. Despite substantial reports of perpetration from young males, effective programs to prevent perpetration of IPV/SA are limited. Research into modifiable risk factors for IPV/SA perpetration consistently demonstrates the role of individual personal attitudes that support hostility toward women, hypermasculinity, rape myth acceptance, and legitimization of violence perpetration. Moreover, a context supportive of IPV/SA perpetration emerges among male peers and role models who demonstrate negative attitudes toward women, promote perceived social norms of violence perpetration, and expectations of male involvement in IPV/SA. For example, perceived peer approval of IPV/SA contributes to both personal attitudes among youth sanctioning its use and actual IPV/SA perpetration. Researchers from UC Davis School of Medicine, Harvard University and the Family Violence Prevention Fund have collaborated to address the social context and gendered attitudes that promote IPV/SA among adolescent male athletes. The presenter will outline the school-based intervention entitled “Coaching Boys into Men,” that focuses on a combination of knowledge, attitudes, and intentions to intervene that are expected to translate into increases in bystander interventions by male student athletes to stop disrespectful and harmful behaviors witnessed among peers as well as reductions in IPV/SA perpetration. Preliminary results from approximately 2000 surveyed student athletes will be presented.