Module 8: Training materials (Police)

Tasks for reflection
(1) What are the barriers that men face when reporting the violence they are experiencing in a relationship?
(2) What are the barriers culturalised conceptions of masculinities can create for male victims of domestic violence seeking help from agencies, the legal sector, and health sector?
(3) How can culturalised conceptions of masculinities affect help seeking behaviour in male victims of domestic violence?
(4) How can men’s own gender biases contribute to their view/reflection on their own experience with domestic violence?

The following three videos show how the topic of diversity is successfully addressed in advertising campaigns.

Anna is a 28-year-old woman who has been in a violent relationship with her partner, Mark, for several years. Along with the physical and emotional abuse, Anna also struggles with drug addiction. She is addicted to cocaine and regularly uses it as a coping mechanism to deal with the traumatic experiences in her relationship. Anna has made several unsuccessful attempts to break free from Mark and overcome her addiction.

Robert is an 80-year-old man who has been living with his adult son, Michael, for the past few years. Unfortunately, their living situation has turned into one of domestic violence. Michael verbally and physically abuses Robert, often berating him and beating him. Robert, due to his old age and declining health, feels helpless and trapped in the situation. He does not know how to find help or escape from the violence due to his physical limitations and dependence on his son.

John is a 35-year-old man who has been in a long-term relationship with his partner, Sarah. Over the past few months, their relationship has deteriorated significantly. Sarah has been displaying increasingly aggressive and violent behaviour towards John. She yells at him, verbally abuses him, and physically assaults him by hitting and kicking him. John feels helpless and is too ashamed to tell his friends or the police because he fears that no one will believe him and that he will not be taken seriously or may be seen as weak.

Emily is a 40-year-old woman with a physical disability who is in a long-term marriage with her husband, David. Over the past few years, their relationship has become increasingly violent. David abuses Emily both verbally and physically. He insults her because of her disability and exploits her dependency on him to exert control and manipulation. Emily feels trapped in her helplessness, as her disability poses additional barriers for seeking help and escaping the abusive relationship.

Lisa and Emma are a same-sex couple in their late 30s who have been dating for a few months. Recently, Lisa, who identifies as a lesbian, has started displaying abusive behaviour towards Emma, who identifies as bisexual. Lisa verbally insults and belittles Emma, using derogatory language related to her bisexuality. Emma feels trapped and afraid to talk to someone about it, as she worries about potential stigma and discrimination from both the LGBTIQ+ community and the society. She does not want to leave Lisa, because she loves her.

Isabella is a 35-year-old woman who lives in an upscale neighborhood. She has been married to her husband, Charles, for the past 10 years. Charles, a successful businessman, regularly hits her and tells her to cover the spots with her clothes. Isabella is afraid that seeking help might lead to public scrutiny and damage her reputation and social standing.

Amina is a 30-year-old woman who immigrated to a new country from a conservative, patriarchal society. She faces numerous challenges in adapting to her new life and culture. Amina’s husband, Farid, uses her immigrant status and limited language skills as tools for manipulation and control, exploiting her fear of deportation and isolation from her family and community, all of which make her hesitant to reach out for help.

For trainers:

• Each participant should assume their assigned role: Nicole (victim), Sebastian (partner), and Officer Miller.
• Participants should remain in character and respond based on their assigned role’s perspective.
• The role play should progress organically, with participants engaging in conversation and interactions based on the setting and scene provided.

What students should learn in this role play:

• Participants should understand the dynamics of domestic violence depending on the role and group they belong to.
• Participants should practice empathy and perspective taking as police officers.

Variants: Repeat the role play using different settings involving victims and/or perpetrators. This time, the victim is Sebastian, and the perpetrator is Nicole or Sebastian’s gay partner Nick.

Roles:

1. Victim of domestic violence: Nicole

2. Partner: Sebastian

3. Police officer: Officer Miller

Setting:

The police are called to an apartment because neighbours have reported a loud argument and things being thrown around. Nicole and Sebastian are present in the apartment.

Scene:

Officer Miller enters the apartment and assesses the situation with Nicole and Sebastian.

Officer Miller: Good evening, what seems to be the problem here?

Nicole: Officer, we were having an argument, and things got a bit out of hand. Everything is fine now.

Sebastian: It was just a heated argument and a few things got thrown around. Nothing to worry about.

Officer Miller: I understand that emotions can run high during arguments, but it’s important to maintain a safe environment. Which of you two threw the objects around?

Sebastian: It was me.

Officer Miller: Nicole, are you physically hurt? Did any of the thrown objects cause injuries?

Nicole: No, I’m fine.

Officer Miller: Sebastian, could you please explain what led to this argument and why things were thrown around?

Sebastian: We had a disagreement about visiting friends, and it escalated. I lost control, and I deeply regret it now.

How could the conversation continue at this point?

Take time to reflect on the image.

1. What is your initial reaction to this image?
2. Are there any traditional gender roles that come to your mind when you see this image? If so, which ones?
3. How does this image challenge or reinforce traditional gender roles?
4. What assumptions might arise for you when seeing a man engaging in an activity traditionally associated with women?

Example I: What comes to mind when you see a woman firefighter or a female engineer? Is this something unexpected for you?

Look beyond the figures and what is hidden behind:

• 35% of Europeans believe that men are more ambitious than women.
• 36% – that is how much less women overall earn on average compared with than men.
• 20% of graduates in information and communications technology (ICT) are women.

Example II: What comes to mind when you see a working father doing or supervising caring duties of his children? Is that something unusual for you?

Look beyond the figures and what is hidden behind:

• 44% of Europeans think that the most important role of a woman is to take care of her home and her family.
• 82% of persons those working part-time for care reasons are women.
• 21% of men spent more than 5 hours a day caring for their children, compared to 40% of women.

Example III: What comes to mind when you see a female president decorating a high-ranking military woman? What comes to mind when you see a black woman as Member of the European Parliament? Is this something surprising for you?

Look beyond the figures and what is hidden behind:

• 69% of Europeans think women are more likely than men to make decisions based on their emotions.
• 32% of members of national parliaments across the EU are women.
• 5% of elected members of the European Parliament (2019-2025) belong to racial or ethnic minorities.
• 8% of CEOs in large listed companies in the EU are women.

• 5 Ads that shatter gender stereotypes: https://campaignsoftheworld.com/tv/5-ads-of-gender-stereotypes/
• 5 marketing campaigns that crushed gender stereotypes: https://www.media-street.co.uk/news/5-marketing-ads-that-crushed-gender-stereotypes/