Expert tackles domestic abuse issues

Many people consider the problem of domestic violence and rape in America to be a women’s issue. Jackson Katz, a professional speaker, had a much different message for the people of Sisters last week.

“When you stop and consider that over 99 of all physical and sexual abuse is perpetrated by men, it is definitely a men’s issue,” he said to an audience of over 200.

Katz spoke Wednesday evening, February 8, at an open meeting at Sisters High School sponsored by Sisters Men Against Domestic Violence, Central Oregon Battery and Rape Alliance and the Kiwanis Club of Sisters.

Katz talked the following day to juniors and seniors at Sisters High School and added a three-hour conference with local emergency personnel the same day.

Katz, a Boston native now living in California, is the founder and director of MVP Strategies, which is an organization providing gender violence prevention training and materials to schools and government agencies. He has aided in the development of educational videos on the issue and speaks throughout the country. He has appeared on a number of television and radio programs, including Good Morning America and Oprah.

Katz had a lot to try to pack into a 90 minute presentation, emphasizing the role of men in helping to curb abuse in our country.

“Most perpetrators of violence against women are men, but most men are not abusers,” he said. “We need to stop men from being bystanders to the violence that is happening in the community around them, even here in Sisters.”

Katz wanted to dispel some myths associated with abusive behavior by men including the notion that men simply “lose control” because of high levels of testosterone or stress.

“I give men a lot more credit than that,” he said. He cited a number of examples of men getting out of control, but still being able to make very conscious decisions during the rage.

“A right handed baseball pitcher hitting things with his left hand or a wife abuser choosing where to hit his wife so the marks will be covered by her clothing are both examples of decision-making while in the midst of an outburst,” he said.

What can men do to make a difference? Katz says becoming cognizant of the problem is a huge step.

“How many of us men have a sister, aunt, friend, cousin who has been raped or otherwise abused?” he asked. “Statistics tell us that all of us have a close acquaintance who has been a victim and we need to pay attention to that.”

Another thing that men can do is speak up.

“Men actually help promote the degradation of females by taking part in dirty jokes about women or by not speaking up when we see a friend talking in a harmful way about his girlfriend,” he said. “Do men have the courage to not be bystanders?”

The second half of Katz’s presentation centered on the overwhelming effect the media play in teaching men and boys unhealthy views of what it means to be a man in America.

He showed film clips, including a segment from WWE professional wrestling that depict horribly abusive attitudes toward women.

“And this stuff is on the regular cable channel,” he said. “The sickening thing about watching these clips is to look behind the action into the crowd and seeing boys cheering and yelling as women are physically bashed and basically molested.”

The danger of the media is not just the graphic violence, but the more subtle messages.

“Both serve to desensitive us to what is acceptable and Hollywood keeps upping the ante on violence and sexualization,” he said. “What used to be a fight in a movie now often ends in murder.”

The high school assembly focused largely on the media, but Katz also took the time to simply “get a conversation” on these issues begun.

“We never talked about any of these things openly when I was your age,” he said. He urged girls to be strong and knowledgeable and pushed the boys to be so well educated and informed that they won’t just follow along with the culture.

Heather Johnson followed up with long discussions in her health classes the following day and found the students very interested in the topic. “They were moved by the idea that they are truly desensitized and were seeking to become more aware of the problem,” she said.

Men and women in the area interested in joining Sisters Men Against Domestic Abuse are encouraged to contact John Gerke (549-4976) or Ron Gregg (549-5831).