Real Men Against Violence
Notre Dame men take a stand against sexual violence
Sexual assault, domestic abuse and rape. For generations, women have been working to end the cycle of violence by talking about women, with women. These women have been extremely influential, but the reality is still that sexual assault and rape still occur, even at Notre Dame.
In the fall of 2005, a group of Notre Dame men decided to take responsibility and add to the conversation in partnership with women. Out of this idea arose Men Against Violence (MAV), which is currently a task force of the Gender Relations Center. Notre Dame alumnus Alex Chapeaux, one of the group’s founding members, says the mission of MAV is “to educate men on how to prevent sexual assault and domestic violence by rethinking the way they view themselves and their male peers in our society.”
Chapeaux recognized a demand on campus for a group in which men could feel comfortable discussing such personal issues. “We are trying to provide a way to talk to guys about sexual assault, as well as the deeper meanings of masculinity — what makes us men,” Chapeaux says. Today, masculinity is “twisted by our society, twisted by the media, by the shows we watch,” he says. MAV provides a setting in which Notre Dame men can feel comfortable discussing their masculinity, talking about sexual assault and encouraging each other to be role models for other men.
MAV is currently running one of its biggest initiatives of the year: the “No Matter What You Do ... Be a Man Against Violence” poster campaign. MAV hung posters all over campus that feature photos of Notre Dame men, including members of Bengal Bouts, Hall President’s Council, the lacrosse team and the football team. In the past, posters have also featured groups such as the Glee Club or the men of student government. “We tried to find males on campus who are visible, most well-known,” says senior Michael Redding, MAV’s current president. “Seeing football posters that say ‘I am a man who stands up against violence, sexual assault and rape,’ is a very powerful thing.”
The posters also include statistics on rape and violence from the U. S. Department of Justice, with the intention of making people aware of the reality and the seriousness of sexual assault and violence. The statistics are so appalling that MAV members said that students in the past assumed the statistics were exaggerated. “Sexual assault is a crime that nobody likes to talk about,” Redding says. “You don’t see it happen, so the stats don’t seem to be happening.”
As part of this campaign, MAV volunteers encouraged men to sign the “Real Man’s Pledge Against Violence.” Their signatures represent their pledge to “never rape, abuse or exploit a person.” They pledged to “be aware,” to “be receptive to issues of violence” and to “be strong enough to do what is right even if that means challenging the social norm.” Men also pledged to be role models for others and to “never allow someone to be raped, abused or exploited” if they can prevent it. MAV is hoping to reach as many people as possible with this positive message by creating a pattern of men encouraging other men.
MAV was very satisfied with the student response to the pledge campaign. “The turnout was similar to or slightly above the turnout from last year,” Chapeaux says. Freshman MAV member Jim Ogorzalek says, “I was excited to see so many people take the time out of their day to sign the pledge.” As for the posters, MAV members were stunned and thrilled to see posters from last year’s campaign still on the walls of both male and female dorms across campus. “This speaks very highly to the message that we bring across, and the students’ and faculty’s acceptance of it,” Chapeaux says.
When MAV was first getting off the ground, there was a concern that women might not understand or support the group. Heather Racokzy, the director of the Gender Relations Center, says, “There can sometimes be resentment among women who feel that men are stealing their thunder. [But when it comes to] actually keeping women safe, women and men must be equal participants in the struggle.”
Chapeaux says, “Women were the pioneers, and we are proud to stand next to them to fight with them.” Chapeaux, Racokzy and Redding all vouch for the fact that Notre Dame women have been very receptive to MAV’s message.
A big part of MAV’s efforts have to do with reversing the stereotype that sexual assault, rape and domestic violence are only women’s issues. “It is very important for men to understand that these issues are not gender specific,” freshman MAV member Flynn O’Neill says. “Men need to know that showing that they care doesn’t have to contradict their masculinity.”
Redding says, “Ninety-nine percent of the perpetrators are male. This is commonly called a women’s issue, but that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.”
Notre Dame is not immune to sexual violence. Three sexual assaults were reported by students to the Notre Dame Security Police within the last month, two of which were reported to be perpetrated by acquaintances. One specifically reported that the assault was committed by a male who was an invited guest in the female’s dorm room, according to the NDSP Crime Bulletin. These were not the first cases of sexual assault at Notre Dame, and they will likely not be the last. Members of MAV know that they have a tough fight ahead of them. But they also know, as Redding says, that being persistent in “getting people to talk about these issues” is the best way to reverse the current statistics. The goal is safety and equality for everyone.
