Real stories, practical strategies, and a cultural shift in gender-based violence prevention
Tom’s Turning Point
Tom was a second-year engineering student at a large Australian university. Smart, well-liked, captain of his footy team, and (like many of his mates) sceptical of anything labelled “gender equality training.”
During O-Week, Tom had skipped the optional workshops on consent. He’d joked with friends about “soy boy” stuff and rolled his eyes when posters about respect and bystander action appeared in the student hub. He wasn’t hostile, just indifferent. “That’s not about me,” he thought.
One afternoon, he reluctantly attended a peer-led workshop as part of his residential advisor training. There, two fellow students (one male, one female) shared survivor stories and led an honest conversation about everyday behaviours: the jokes, the shoulder bumps, the way silence in group settings can either enable or interrupt harmful behaviour.
For the first time, Tom saw himself in the conversation. Not as a perpetrator, not as a villain. But as someone who had power and influence, and a role to play.
He didn’t change overnight. But he started speaking up when his mates crossed a line. He became a “Respect Champion” in his faculty. And later, when a younger student confided in him about harassment, Tom knew what to do.
Tom’s story isn’t unique. Across Australian campuses, universities are realising that engaging young men is essential to creating safe, respectful environments. And when done well, the impact can be transformative.
RMIT’s “Soy Boy” article explores how shifting conversations with young men is helping drive cultural change.
Why engaging young men matters
For decades, gender-based violence (GBV) prevention work in universities has focused on survivor support, policy development, and awareness campaigns. While crucial, many of these efforts have unintentionally positioned young men as bystanders at best, threats at worst.
But the reality is:
- Most men are not perpetrators, but they are often part of peer cultures where harmful behaviours go unchallenged.
- Young men hold enormous cultural power, in classrooms, residential halls, sports teams, and social networks.
- Prevention requires shared responsibility, not polarisation.
Key reasons universities must engage young men:
- They shape peer norms
Social research shows men influence men more than institutional messaging does. Engaging young men changes group dynamics. - They’re often underserved
Prevention education often speaks about men, not with them. Many want to contribute but lack the language or tools. - They’re future leaders
Today’s students are tomorrow’s managers, academics, policy-makers, and community leaders. Early engagement has ripple effects.
The Challenge: Stereotypes and silence
Universities often encounter resistance from some male students. Comments like:
- “I’m not the problem.”
- “Why are men always being blamed?”
- “This stuff is just political.”
- “I don’t want to say the wrong thing.”
These reactions are often not rooted in hostility but in defensiveness, discomfort, or lack of engagement. Meanwhile, some men remain silent in the face of harmful behaviour, unsure how to intervene without risking social friction.
Additionally, popular culture stereotypes (such as the “soy boy” trope that mocks male students engaged in gender equality) reinforce the idea that caring about respect is “unmanly.”
If prevention initiatives don’t address these cultural dynamics head-on, they risk alienating the very group whose involvement could be most impactful.
A systems issue: culture, masculinity, and belonging
Engaging young men is not about delivering a single training session. It’s about shifting culture, how masculinity, power, and belonging are understood and expressed in campus life.
Many young men arrive at university during a critical identity-formation period. They’re negotiating new freedoms, peer groups, and responsibilities. Universities can either leave those cultural spaces unshaped, allowing harmful norms to take root, or actively create spaces where positive masculinities can thrive.
This doesn’t mean “fixing” men. It means inviting them into shared responsibility.
Case Study: RMIT’s positive masculinity approach
In early 2025, RMIT University piloted a program designed to reframe masculinity and engage male students as allies, not adversaries. It grew out of student-led advocacy, a spike in reported harassment incidents, and a recognition that prevention efforts were not resonating with young men.
Key elements included:
1. Peer-to-Peer Education
Rather than top-down lectures, male students facilitated conversations with their peers. These sessions used real scenarios, encouraged honest dialogue, and created safe spaces to unpack myths and assumptions.
Impact:
Attendance and engagement rates soared compared to staff-led sessions. Students were more likely to speak openly about pressures, confusion, and the desire to “get it right.”
2. Reframing Masculinity
Instead of focusing only on “what not to do,” sessions explored positive masculinity, leadership through respect, courage to intervene, empathy as strength. Facilitators shared personal stories of times they’d spoken up (and times they hadn’t), modelling vulnerability and accountability.
Impact:
Students reported feeling inspired rather than lectured. The language shifted from compliance to culture-building.
3. Visible Role Models
Male staff, alumni, and student leaders were visible champions of the program. Whether in sporting clubs, academic societies, or student unions, these role models made it socially legitimate — even aspirational — to care about respect and safety.
Impact:
It undercut the “soy boy” stereotype. Being respectful became compatible with being influential and admired.
4. Curriculum Integration
The program wasn’t siloed. Elements were integrated into academic coursework in disciplines like education, health, and engineering — contextualising GBV prevention in professional ethics and leadership.
Impact:
Students began to see GBV prevention not as an add-on, but as part of their future professional identities.
5. Ongoing Engagement
Workshops weren’t one-offs. Students were invited to join “Respect Leader” networks, contribute to campaigns, and mentor peers. This sustained involvement turned passive participants into cultural drivers.
Practical Strategies for Universities
Engaging young men effectively requires strategic design, not one-size-fits-all messaging. Here are six practical strategies universities can adopt:
1. Use peer leadership as the vehicle
- Train and support male students to facilitate conversations with other men.
- Prioritise authenticity over polish, relatable peers have more influence than external experts.
- Provide supervision and support for peer educators to prevent burnout or backlash.
Why it works: Social influence flows more powerfully through peer networks than institutional channels.
2. Shift the frame from blame to shared responsibility
- Avoid “you’re the problem” framing. Instead, emphasise the power men have to shape culture positively.
- Acknowledge discomfort and make space for questions.
- Celebrate examples of positive action rather than focusing only on transgressions.
Why it works: Defensive reactions drop when men feel invited, not attacked.
3. Invest in positive masculinity messaging
- Develop campaigns that show empathy, leadership, and respect as strengths.
- Use storytelling (from male athletes, leaders, or respected figures) to make these values visible.
- Challenge harmful stereotypes indirectly through aspirational narratives.
Why it works: Cultural change happens through new stories, not just policies.
4. Create safe spaces for honest dialogue
- Run small-group sessions where male students can unpack social pressures and fears.
- Train facilitators to manage challenging conversations without shame or shutdown.
- Build trust through confidentiality and respect.
Why it works: Many young men genuinely want to do better but lack safe places to explore how.
5. Embed engagement throughout the student lifecycle
- Start in O-Week or induction with introductory modules.
- Follow up with targeted workshops in residential settings, clubs, and courses.
- Offer leadership opportunities for ongoing involvement.
Why it works: Culture shifts through sustained exposure and reinforcement, not one-off interventions.
6. Link to professional and cultural identity
- In courses like engineering, health, education, or law, integrate GBV prevention into professional ethics.
- Connect respectful behaviour on campus with future workplace responsibilities and leadership.
- Highlight legal and WHS obligations as well as cultural expectations.
Why it works: Students respond when they see relevance to their future.
Measuring impact
Cultural change can feel intangible, but universities can measure engagement with young men through:
- Attendance and participation rates in male-focused workshops
- Pre- and post-program surveys assessing attitudes and confidence to intervene
- Qualitative feedback from male students on perceived relevance and impact
- Monitoring shifts in bystander reporting and peer intervention rates
These data points provide feedback loops for continuous improvement and evidence for boards, funders, and regulators.
Common Barriers and how to overcome them
“They won’t come to the sessions.”
Response: Use peer facilitators, integrate into existing structures (e.g., clubs, courses), and make it part of valued leadership pathways.
“They’ll be defensive or disengaged.”
Response: Frame the conversation around shared responsibility, not blame. Model vulnerability. Start where they are, not where we wish they were.
“We don’t have male champions.”
Response: Start small, find one or two respected figures willing to lead and build from there. Authenticity matters more than numbers.
“This seems too resource-intensive.”
Response: Many elements (peer education, role models, campaigns) are low-cost if integrated into existing structures. The return in cultural safety and compliance is significant.
A cultural shift, one conversation at a time
Tom’s transformation didn’t come from a policy document. It came from a conversation. From a peer who showed him that masculinity can mean respect, courage, and accountability, not silence.
Universities that engage young men effectively are not just ticking a compliance box. They are shaping future leaders. They are building cultures where harmful behaviours are challenged not just by institutions, but by communities themselves.
This is where the deepest cultural change happens: in dorm rooms, group projects, footy clubs, and late-night conversations between mates.
Conclusion: From token inclusion to real engagement
Gender-based violence prevention cannot succeed if half the student body is disengaged. Engaging young men is a key factor for change.
When universities move beyond stereotypes, create safe spaces for dialogue, and frame engagement around shared responsibility, young men step up. Not all at once. Not perfectly. But meaningfully.
Tom is now leading workshops for first-year students. He’s still the footy captain. Still cracking jokes. But now, he’s also shaping a campus culture where respect is the norm, not the exception.
And that’s exactly the kind of leadership universities need.
