Building bridges: The role of male allyship in tackling violence against women and girls

The MAN Culture initiative is designed to foster conversations around masculinity, allyship, and gender equality, encouraging men and boys to challenge harmful societal norms and stereotypes. These discussions are timely, especially in light of Plymouth City Council's 2022 report on VAWG, which underscores the severity of the issue locally.

The Plymouth Council report, commissioned in response to high-profile tragedies in 2021, highlights alarming statistics: 69.3 per cent of victims of intimate partner violence are women, and 74.4 per cent of perpetrators are men. Despite ongoing efforts, many women in Plymouth report feeling unsafe in public spaces. The report calls for a multi-faceted approach to combat VAWG, with a clear focus on male engagement and allyship as key components of prevention strategies.

One of the most compelling aspects of the conference was the recognition that men must play an active role in changing the culture that allows violence to persist. Engaging boys and men in conversations about consent, respect, and empathy from an early age is crucial. 

These discussions must be open, safe, and non-judgmental to create meaningful change. The MAN Culture framework can provide an excellent platform for such engagement, encouraging men to question patriarchal norms and become proactive in challenging behaviours that contribute to violence.

Bringing the conversation to psychology students

To bring the conversation to our psychology students at Marjon University, we invited members of MAN Culture to our psychology masterclass. We also asked Gemma Gowan, a Marjon Master's student, to discuss her dissertation, which explored male allyship in preventing male violence against women and girls. 

Gemma used the pyramid of sexual violence (Walker, 2023) to illustrate how behaviours often seen as minor or harmless, such as sexist jokes or objectification, lay the foundation for more severe acts of violence at the top of the pyramid. Addressing and challenging behaviours lower in the pyramid is essential to prevent escalation.

Gemma's study employed a story completion method (Clarke & Braun, 2019; Vaughan et al. 2022) to examine factors that may influence whether men become allies. Male participants were presented with fictional scenarios that differed only in terms of whether pro-allyship advice was delivered by a male or female message-giver. 

The role of empathy

Empathy emerged as a prominent theme irrespective of the message-giver: Participants often displayed increased sensitivity to VAWG issues when they could relate emotionally to women's experiences of fear and vulnerability. This highlights empathy as an effective engagement tool, especially in cases where there is initial resistance or discomfort with discussions around allyship. 

The data from the male message-giver scenarios underscored the importance of ensuring physical and psychological safety, along with addressing shame in a sensitive manner. In contrast, the female message-giver data emphasised the value of fostering connection and empowerment. 

Gemma's findings align with existing research (e.g. Krskova, 2023), suggesting that empathetic, secure, and relational approaches to learning can deepen engagement and encourage the integration of allyship within male-dominated environments.

In summary, the conference and the research presentation reiterated the necessity of fostering a culture of allyship, where men feel empowered to stand up against violence and support women in their communities. These efforts should not be limited to reactive measures but should include proactive education, such as active bystander training, in schools and workplaces (e.g. Hoxmeier & Casey, 2022; Wagner et al. 2022). 

Raising awareness of VAWG does not imply blaming all men and boys but rather focuses on dismantling harmful norms that can contribute to a culture of silence and complicity. Challenging the initial layers of aggression and disrespect depicted in Walker's pyramid (which may be overlooked as harmless) is a crucial step in addressing all levels of VAWG.

About the author

Dr Katheryn Edwards is a lecturer in psychology in the school of health and wellbeing at Plymouth Marjon University.

Supporting links

• M.A.N. Culture website
• Trauma Informed Plymouth Network
• VAWG commission report

References

Clarke, V., & Braun, V. (2019). 'How can a heterosexual man remove his body hair and retain his masculinity? Mapping stories of male body hair depilation'. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 16(1), 96–114. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2018.1536388

Hoxmeier, J. C., & Casey, E. A. (2022). 'Engaging boys and men as allies in prevention: The efficacy of bystander programme approaches for boys and men'. In Engaging Boys and Men in Sexual Assault Prevention (pp. 285-309). Academic Press.

Krskova, H. (2023). 'Empathy for change: How to create a more understanding world'. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 22(1), 155–156. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2022.0090

Vaughan, P., Lenette, C., & Boydell, K. (2022). '"This bloody rona!": Using the digital story completion method and thematic analysis to explore the mental health impacts of Covid-19 in Australia'. BMJ Open, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-057393

Wagner, K. C., Yates, D., & Walcott, Q. (2012). 'Engaging men and women as allies: A workplace curriculum module to challenge gender norms about domestic violence, male bullying, and workplace violence and encourage ally behaviour'. Work 42(1), 107–113. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-2012-1334

Walker, A., Barton, E. R., Parry, B., & Snowdon, L. C. (2023). 'Preventing sexual harassment through a prosocial bystander campaign: It's #SafeToSay'. Journal of Community Safety and Well-Being, 8(3), 130–138. https://doi.org/10.35502/jcswb.329