“I used to spend my time arguing for why we need to engage men and boys in ending violence against women. Now I spend much more time arguing for how.”
From Why to How: Engaging Men and Boys in Violence Prevention
Michael Flood · Professor, Queensland University of Technology
About this episode
In this episode, Matt and Tenille speak with Professor Michael Flood from Queensland University of Technology — one of Australia's leading researchers on men, masculinities, and violence prevention. Michael unpacks what it takes to genuinely engage men and boys in preventing domestic and sexual violence, from what works in face-to-face education to why building communities of support matters as much as the programs themselves. It's a nuanced and hopeful conversation about language, the limits of "toxic masculinity" as a frame, what the Man Box research tells us, and what it means to do this work well.
Key takeaways
The field has shifted from why to how
There is now widespread community acceptance that men and boys have a positive role to play in ending violence — the more urgent question is how to engage them effectively, which requires work that is informed, participatory, sustained, and tailored to context.
One-off sessions don't cut it
Effective work with men and boys isn't a single one-hour session — it requires comprehensive, whole-of-institution approaches that address not just individuals but the community and structural factors shaping the problem.
The "men in crisis" narrative needs unpacking
The right question to ask is "a crisis for which men, and what kind of crisis?" — because real disadvantages exist, but they are shaped by masculine norms, class, ethnicity, and history, not by feminism or the gains of women.
Language is doing a lot of heavy lifting
The phrase "toxic masculinity" is frequently misheard as a critique of all men rather than of harmful norms — the Man Box offers a more accessible frame, helping men see themselves as constrained by expectations rather than attacked as individuals.
Most men are already with you — they just don't know it
Men consistently overestimate other men's comfort with violence and underestimate their own willingness to speak up; building communities of support and using social norms strategies helps individuals recognise they are part of a silent majority, not isolated outliers.
Topics covered
- Violence prevention
- Men and masculinities
- Bystander intervention
- Gender norms
- Primary prevention
- Community engagement
- The Man Box