#17 From Why to How: Engaging Men and Boys in Violence Prevention with Michael Flood
The It Depends Podcast with Matt HealeyShow Notes
What does it take to engage men and boys in preventing domestic and sexual violence — and what separates the work that actually shifts things from the kind that doesn’t? Professor Michael Flood is an internationally recognised researcher at Queensland University of Technology and one of Australia’s leading voices on men, masculinities, and violence prevention. With over 30 years of experience spanning research, community education, and pro-feminist advocacy, he has spent his career not just studying this field but actively building it. In this conversation, he traces the shift from arguing why men and boys should be engaged in this work to the harder, more important question of how — and what makes some approaches genuinely effective while others fall short. Michael explores the distinct challenges of violence prevention compared to other men’s health work, why most men privately reject violence-supportive attitudes but stay silent anyway, how the man box constrains the men inside it as much as those around them, and why the language we reach for — from “toxic masculinity” to “healthy masculinity” — can either open doors or close them. He also reflects on the broader conversation about men in crisis, what’s driving it, and why building communities of support among men may matter more than we realise. If you like what you hear, sign up for our mailing list! We share resources, publications, and other ways to learn. You can also find Matt and Tenille on LinkedIn, or visit our website. Resources mentioned in this episode:
XY Online — one of the world’s largest resources on men and masculinities, for parents, educators, policymakers, and everyday people The Man Box — Jesuit Social Services research on the costs of rigid masculine norms for men, boys, and those around them Our Watch — Australia’s national organisation for the primary prevention of violence against women and children White Ribbon Australia — campaign mobilising men to take active roles in preventing domestic and sexual violence
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