THE MEN'S PROGRAM

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55 Minutes + Q&A

What is The Men's Program?

One in Four, Inc. advocates the use of a comprehensive approach to rape prevention that includes many research-based efforts. Based on our commitment to applying theory and research to our programs, we use and advocate the use of The Men's Program. This program is a one hour workshop titled "How to Help a Sexual Assault Survivor: What Men Can Do." The Men's Program is usually presented by trained male peer educators to all-male groups, however many other have presented the program, including women in rape crisis centers and university settings where male presenters are not currently available. Published research shows that this unique program has the dual benefit of educating men how to help women recover from a rape experience while lowering men's rape myth acceptance and their self-reported likelihood of raping. The Men's Program is also the name of the training manual authored by John Foubert that is available from Brunner-Routledge Publishers. This manual provides educated rape prevention practitioners with a comprehensive guide to creating a sexual assault peer education group from the ground up.

Goals of The Men's Program

The primary goals of The Men's Program are:

• Help men understand how to help women recover from rape.
• Increase the likelihood of bystander intervention in potentially high-risk situations.
• Challenge men to change their own behaviors and influence the behaviors of others.

Program Outline

The Men’s Program opens with a non-confrontational tone, defining rape and sexual assault. Next, participants view a 15 minute video where a police trainer describes a rape experience that is used to develop men’s understanding of and empathy toward rape survivors. After noting that the experience the police officer had is similar to that which has been experienced by one in four college women, participants learn to help a woman recover from a rape experience who comes to them seeking assistance and support. Participants hear what men can do in their own behavior to help prevent rape including defining consent and using effective bystander intervention strategies. The final section focuses on bystander intervention in situations involving alcohol and sexual assault. In this interactive section, participants are taken through a guided imagery of an alcohol-related rape and are taught effective ways that they could intervene if they come upon such a situation. Participants brainstorm ways to apply this new information to their own social groups. Research has shown that this program not only teaches men how to help women recover from rape and increases their empathy toward female rape survivors, but that high risk men who see the program commit less sexual assault than men who don't.