In 2017, Jesuit Social Services launched The Men’s Project, informed by our 43-year history of working with men and boys who are in trouble and causing trouble.
By looking at the root causes of violence and challenging behaviours, The Men’s Project seeks to move from crisis to prevention and early intervention; going up-stream to support boys and men to be their best selves, so they can lead healthier lives free from violence and foster positive relationships.
When we engage directly with men and boys, we also contribute to safer communities and better outcomes for the women and children in their lives.
Sadly, COVID-19 has resulted in a spike in family violence and we expect an increase in mental health concerns, demonstrating that the work of The Men’s Project is more vital than ever before. In light of the challenges presented by COVID-19, connection and compassion have never been more important. During this time, The Men’s Project has moved to delivering our services remotely to support boys and men to flourish and live healthier and fulfilling lives.
This includes delivering training to people that influence boys’ attitudes and behaviour on a daily basis – community leaders, including sports coaches, youth workers and teachers. This training will equip people with the language and skills they need to create change in their community around issues of respect and equality.
We’ve also commenced delivering engaging online learning sessions for students and teachers. These sessions draw on the findings of The Man Box research, which explored the attitudes and behaviours of young Australian men. We are delivering these sessions across the state including working with one school in Gippsland to deliver a package of 20 sessions.
The Men’s Project is also excited to be launching our Unpacking The Man Box report in mid-July, which shows that Man Box attitudes are strongly associated with increased likelihood of using violence, sexual harassment, mental health and binge drinking. In fact, the report shows these outcomes are much more closely linked to Man Box indicators than to other factors such as level of education or occupation. Stay tuned for your invitation to the launch!
