This month’s article has to do with the increase in murder-suicides across the nation. Click here for full article. Although some social scientists have attributed the rise of murder-suicides to the economic downturn, the author asks that we consider the expectations and socialization process of boys and men as a critical factor that has contributed to this dramatic shift.

As prevention educators, we often grapple with the effects of gender socialization and understand that gender roles contribute to the normalization of violence. As educators, one barrier that we come across is getting other community members to agree and to begin to question the socialization that they’ve received and reinforced. What are some tools you have used to effectively convey this message to your community? Where do you find that you consistently get stuck?