Battering Men and Their Male Therapists: The Different and the Similar (original) (raw)

Are Men Perpetrators of Gender-based Violence? Counseling for Trauma Prevention

There are ample literature and research pointing accusing fingers to men as perpetrators of gender-based violence, and if, men truly are perpetrators of gender-based violence what kind of impact does it have on their psycho-social adjustment to life. In this regard, this paper wishes to explore the different discourses that have been used to position men as perpetrators of gender-based violence, particularly the discourse of patriarchy and masculinity. Accordingly, this paper wishes to portray how these discourses embedded in the processes of socialization have not been favorable to men, thereby invoking men's (including the society at large) consciousness to the danger of using the negative premises of these discourses to position themselves as superiors. The implication of such socialization process is that men as boys learn early to dominate others, leading to varying instances of gender-based violence, which has traumatic impact on them as perpetrators or victims. Based on de facto observation such positioning has in the long run dehumanized men, making them to appear as abusers of others, particularly women and children. Consequently, this paper calls for advocacy counseling intervention paradigm in which evolution of consciousness should be re-engaged as strategy towards promoting the discourse and practice of complementarity. Through evolution of consciousness men will become proactive in deconstructing the superior discourse of masculinity to take up collegiality approach in their day-today relationship with others, resulting to shared mutual respect. In this way, our universe and particularly Africans will reenact the valuable cultural practice of communal interdependence in which 'I am' because 'we are'.