Jackson Katz, violence prevention expert, to visit Saskatchewan

Jackson Katz, a public speaker with years of experience in developing programs aimed at preventing abuse in relationships, is set to speak in Regina later this month.

Katz will be the keynote speaker, on June 23, at an event for the Provincial Association of Transition Houses of Saskatchewan.

His visit will be timely as the news media have focussed attention on the case of Brock Turner. The Stanford University swimmer was recently given a six-monthsentence for the sexual assault of an unconscious 23-year-old woman at a frat party.

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"I think we know a lot about how to change aspects of rape culture on university campuses and in communities," Katz said. His own work on the topic, developing a program called Mentors in Violence Prevention, began in the early 1990s.

"I think the political will hasn't been there," Katz said, when asked about what needs to change. "We haven't figured out how to get into systems and change educational practices and hold institutional leaders and political leaders accountable."

Much of his work also concerns what is known as the "peer culture" and how violence can be prevented by having men take action when they witness inappropriate behaviour.

"It's getting men to challenge and interrupt each other when they're acting out in sexist ways," he explained, stressing the action does not have to be at the time of an attack. "It's helping to create a climate where the attitudes and beliefs that underpin the abusive behaviours get challenged much earlier."

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Katz added that education, for prevention of violence, has to start at the earliest ages and address how youngsters are taught to interact with opposite genders.

"The central factor is... training and socializing boys and men to think about themselves as men," he said. "[Men] think about their entitlement to women's bodies or to their emotional needs being met."

Katz added that it is learned behaviour.

"How do we teach our sons, differently?" he asked. "How do we teach boys and young men to be men in ways that are respectful and non-violent?"

He said addressing that involves all elements of society, from parents to teachers.