Building Young Men's Emotional Intelligence as Part of Sexual Violence Prevention

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, 2010there were more than 80 workshops. The largest track was the Prevention Track sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workshop Title: Building Young Men’s Emotional Intelligence as Part of Sexual Violence Prevention

Presenters: Pat McGann, Men Can Stop Rape

Description: Craig P. Flood and Susan Shaffer, in “Safe Boys, Safe Schools” (“Women’s Educational Equity Act Digest, ” 2000) assert that psychological and emotional detachment – cornerstones of traditional male socialization – lead to violent or aggressive acts, such as sexual harassment. They propose that challenging this disconnect through emotional literacy, especially the intentional teaching of empathy, would benefit boys and lead to safer school communities. Instead of letting emotional intelligence (EI), masculinity, and violence remain buried in the gender norms that populate school hallways, classrooms, and cafeterias, this presentation will raise their visibility and interrelatedness, especially in connection with young men and boys’ roles in sexual and dating violence prevention. Participants will explore their own attitudes and experiences related to men and emotions, learn about the ability-based EI model, and discuss examples of young men learning EI.

Materials:

• Slides [PDF]
• David R. Caruso, All About the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT)
• Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. R. (2004). Emotional intelligence: Theory, findings, and implications. Psychological Inquiry, 60, 197-215.004).

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.