To stop violent men, look at the boys they were
Violent men don’t simply wake up violent one day.
Childhood abuse, violence at home, poverty and harmful ideas about masculinity can pile up over years — although most boys who experience these things won’t become violent.
Men do talk about fear, shame and pain — when it feels safe.
Studies with mineworkers, students and young men in informal settlements show that the problem isn’t simply that men can’t express emotion.
Telling boys to “talk about their feelings” isn’t enough.
They need spaces where showing vulnerability won’t cost them their standing as men — and affordable mental health.
In today’s newsletter , Yandisa Sikweyiya and Andrew Gibbs tell us why violent men aren’t born.
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COMMENT James learned early what a man was supposed to do when he was hurt.
He was taught to keep quiet.
As a boy, he was bullied.
A family friend sexually abused him.
Relatives beat him.
At home, he watched his father assault his mother when they fought.
5News aggregated this summary from the outlet’s public feed. The full article, with all the context, is on bhekisisa.org — the content belongs to Bhekisisa.
