Invisible men: Social reactions to male sexual coercion - bringing men and masculinities into community safety and public policy

Abstract

This paper considers three social reactions to the sexual violence of men, moral panics, risk assessments and denial. The first of these responses occurs primarily in the media, risk assessments are primarily the preserve of forensic professionals. Both of these areas construct male sexual violence in such a way that ignores issues related to the gendered nature of sexual violence. This paper reviews dominant forms of knowledge in relation to sex offenders and suggests that by ignoring men and masculinities, strategies for developing community safety are flawed. The paper concludes by suggesting a wider approach to community safety that incorporates education and a critical perspective on dominant ways of being male as a key part of preventing and reducing male sexual coercion.