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2.1.3 Gender stereotypes and gender roles
KEY TO KNOW
Aim . To understand how gender and gender roles can affect how boys and men understand themselves .
A stereotype is a widely accepted assumption or bias about a person or group ; it is often oversimplified and inaccurate . Stereotypes about gender can cause unequal and unfair treatment . Everyone should be treated with respect and dignity .
Gender roles define how we are expected to act , speak , dress , and conduct ourselves in society , based on our assigned sex . For example , girls and women are generally expected to dress in typically feminine ways and to be polite , accommodating , and nurturing . Some people do not identify as either male or female and have fluid gender identities , and others do not identify with the gender they were born as . Every society , ethnic group , and culture has gender role expectations ; but they can be different from group to group and can also change within a group or culture over time . For example , in the 18 th and 19 th century in Europe and America , boys would wear pink clothing , ribbons and other decorations . Red was considered a very masculine colour and pink was seen as a light red , and therefore masculine too . 28
Boys and men are generally expected to be aggressive , bold , and strong . Male stereotypes assume that a man should be able to defend himself and that he is “ weak ” if he is assaulted . Boys are often not taught to put feelings into words and can therefore lack vocabulary and a way to talk about the feelings and reactions they experience after being assaulted . We know that male survivors may be reluctant to ask for support in the aftermath because they feel that they should have been able to avoid the abuse . ( UK report The Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse , October 2022 .) It is important to note that male survivors of sexual violence can get help even if they don ’ t have words to describe their feelings and experiences . For example , they might recognise themselves in the five stories in this manual and can confirm whether they experience similar trauma reactions .
REFLECTION QUESTION
Questions to reflect on
• In your culture , what are the principal gender stereotypes ? How do these stereotypes impede the recovery of male survivors of sexual violence ?
• Is it possible to talk about these gender stereotypes ?