Why do men commit rape, child sexual abuse, and other sex crimes? Does the answer lie in the way males are brought up, in the traits they’re encouraged and expected to develop? Alissa Ackerman contends that while certain aspects of masculinities — the socially constructed ways in which men perform their manhood — can be factors contributing to sexual violence, others can help men refrain from it.
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I appreciate ms Ackerman’s overall message, but when will there be some referencing for so many of the standard claims like rape is about power and not sex. I never here a single program where all the standard claims around these issues, including the claim that one in three women will face and attempted sexual assault, is actually cited. I am not saying they are not true, I just find the lack of emphasis on how such claims are made to be troubling