THE MEN'S PROGRAM
What is the Men's Program?
Program Outline
Quick Facts about "The Men's Program"
Sexual Assault Statistics
Research
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Program Outline

The entire program lasts about 55 minutes (plus questions), and it is a multi-media presentation. In the program, trained peer educators do the following things

1. Define rape and sexual assault
2. Present a short video describing a male-on-male rape situation
3. Draw parallels between the video and experiences a survivor may encounter
4. Discuss ways to help a survivor
5. Suggest other ways men can help end rape
6. Discuss questions

Quick Facts about "The Men's Program"

Title: "How to Help a Sexual Assault Survivor: What Men Can Do."

Format: All-male, peer education program.

Goals: Help men understand how to help women recover from rape. Make men less likely to be sexually coercive with women.

Basis: Rooted in research literature showing the efficacy of all-male, peer education format that relies on victim empathy and increasing men's aversion to rape. Based on 2 models of attitude change (belief system theory and the elaboration likelihood model), where material is presented in a format perceived as relevant to the audience -- addressing men as potential helpers, not as potential rapists.

Content: Building victim empathy, teaching men how to help women recover from rape, challenging men to change their own behavior and influence others.

Effects: Significantly improves men's understanding of how to help women recover from rape. Significantly lowers men's rape myth acceptance and likelihood of raping for an entire academic year - longer than any other program evaluated in the research literature Schewe, 1999). Fully 75% of "high risk" men who see "The Men's Program" report lower likelihood of raping after the program concludes -- an effect which lasts an entire academic year