10/27/2020
"I can remember speaking to a 12-year-old boy, a football player, and I asked him, 'How would you feel if, in front of all the players, the coach told you, you were playing like a girl?' Now I expected him to say that I'd be sad or I'd be mad or I'd be angry or something. No, the boy said to me, 'It would destroy me.' And, I said to myself.... if it would destroy him to be called a girl, what are we then teaching him about girls." -- Tony Porter
This quote is from an excellent TED talk by Tony Porter, an educator and activist who is internationally recognized for his efforts to end violence against women. In his talk, "A Call to Men," Porter explores the social conditioning that he refers to as the "man box," which can lead men to disrespect, mistreat, and abuse women and each other.
To watch his talk, which is especially timely during October's Domestic Violence Awareness Month, visit http://bit.ly/1s4Nqwz. Porter is also the cofounder of A Call to Men at http://www.acalltomen.org/
At A Mighty Girl, we believe that introducing boys to female role models is an important part of the process of fostering respect for girls and women. For many books about trailblazing women to share with children and teens, visit our "Role Model" biography collection at http://amgrl.co/2wRJudE
For Mighty Girl books that address issues of abuse and violence and offer a helpful way to spark conversations around this important topic, we recommend "Fighting Words" for ages 10 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/fighting-words), "Speak" for ages 14 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/speak), and "A Heart in a Body" for ages 14 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/a-heart-in-a-body)
For an exceptional book for older teens and adults about the early warning signs of abusive relationships, myths about abusive personalities, and how to get help, we highly recommend "Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men" at https://www.amightygirl.com/why-does-he-do-that
To start teaching children -- girls and boys alike -- from a young age about the need to respect others and their personal boundaries, check out "Let's Talk About Body Boundaries, Consent, and Respect" for ages 4 to 7 (https://www.amightygirl.com/body-boundaries) and "My Body! What I Say Goes!" for ages 3 to 7 (https://www.amightygirl.com/my-body)
And, if youâre a parent concerned that your daughter may be in an unhealthy relationship, check out the books âBut I Love Him: Protecting Your Teen Daughter from Controlling, Abusive Relationshipsâ at https://www.amightygirl.com/but-i-love-him and âSaving Beauty From The Beast: How to Protect Your Daughter from an Unhealthy Relationshipâ at https://www.amightygirl.com/saving-beauty-from-the-beast