Gender-sensitive work with boys and lads is an important and essential tool in the prevention of violence. In Austria, there are very well qualified specialists, institutions and organisations for this purpose. In the workshops with boys and lads, violence-promoting and hegemonic images of masculinity are addressed and worked on together with the boys. There is still a lot of pressure in male peer groups to follow certain "toxic" images of masculinity in order to gain recognition among their peers. In many ways, these images of masculinity contain attitudes that promote violence, for example by concealing and suppressing feelings associated with weakness or unmanliness, or the real and/or symbolic staging of male superiority over women and girls (as well as over boys and men who cannot or do not want to conform to hegemonic images of masculinity).
In the everyday practice of many men, the fantasised and real social position of power is expressed by attacking women or devalued forms of masculinity in words and/or actions, violating boundaries, sexual assault, etc. Clarifying what and how violence - especially in its references to women - can be named, how this violence occurs in reality, etc., is the basis for raising awareness of the boys'/boys' own behaviour. As much as these images of men are in a state of flux, it is nevertheless necessary to reflect on and emphasise anew that dominant behaviour and images of men that dominate and determine women are in urgent need of change - as are social structures that perpetuate the oppression and discrimination of women.
In the joint work with the boys and lads, the aim is to make it possible to experience and discuss these harmful effects of masculinity stereotypes and to develop emancipatory and equality-orientated images of being a boy/boy/man in the workshops. The consideration of low-threshold approaches, intersectional and transcultural approaches is one of the cross-cutting issues and competences here in order to also reach groups that develop violent 'protest masculinities' as a reaction to marginalisation. At the same time, experience shows that boys/boys also report their own experiences of violence in the family in the workshops. This means that there is always a direct preventative connection in the area of violence against women. Where possible, cooperation is also sought with girls' and women's work and with victim protection organisations.
The funds budgeted in the project "Violence-preventing work with boys and lads" are intended to ensure that the expertise from the work with men/boys has a broad impact. Boys/boys should learn to deal with negative feelings without violence, recognise forms of violence and develop a clear stance against violence against women (and men too, of course). The range of measures should be adapted to local circumstances, target groups and current needs and can range from workshops and peer programmes to participatory projects. If necessary, individual discussions and counselling for boys can also take place.
The measures that comprise violence prevention work with boys are diverse in this area and can include the following:
- School workshops on violence prevention
- School work with boys (social work, boys' lessons, etc.)
- Violence prevention workshops outside of school
- Work with refugee boys in institutions
- Counselling services for violence prevention (young people, parents, caregivers)
- Preventive anti-violence work for boys in an ongoing group setting at a men's counselling centre
- Group work with boys whose mothers are in women's refuges
- Journal service for young people (counselling for boys)
- Low-threshold counselling for boys via Instagram and messenger services
- Individual counselling for boys
- And much more.