More and more men and women are becoming aware of the pervasive societal problem of violence against women and girls, yet what can concerned community members do to help reduce intimate partner/dating violence and sexual assault?

One solution may exist with the coaches of our recreational and school sports programs.  A year-long study that appeared recently in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine showed that a program called Coaching Boys into Men (CBIM) is effective in reducing abusive behaviors among male athletes toward their female partners.

The study looked at more than 2,000 male high school athletes that participated in the coach-led CBIM program that aims to prevent abuse toward women and girls.  Results showed youth that participated in the program were less likely to support peers’ abusive behavior and showed a significant relative reduction in abuse perpetration.

The CBIM program, created by a national non-profit organization called Futures Without Violence, works with coaches because they are in a unique position to positively influence and teach male athletes about building healthy relationships and how to intervene when witnessing disrespectful and abusive behaviors among their peers.

CBIM is a program that has been presented to coaches and educators, locally, via workshops and teacher in-service programs by representatives of the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRCNM) and members of the agency’s volunteer community Violence Prevention Team.

Coaches utilize a “playbook” to help integrate lessons of respect and relationships into their coaching program to positively impact how young men think and behave on and off the athletic field.  The playbook provides “teach-easy” tactics and teachable moments to help illustrate ways to role model and promote healthy choices and relationships among youth.  The curriculum guides coaches on how to build character and promote positive bystander behavior (skills to interrupt peers’ abusive behaviors) in young men through teamwork, sportsmanship, integrity, and respect.

“The key to this program is respect—teaching players to be aware of how they treat women and how to deal with all people in general,” said Mike Alberghini, head football coach at Grant Union High School in Sacramento, CA, a participating school in the study. “The experience has brought us together as a stronger, more responsible group.”

The CBIM program is one proven tool we can use in the effort to end violence against women and girls.  Every parent, school administrator, counselor, teacher, athletic director and coach should strive to implement this valuable program to help build respectful, non-violent relationships among young people in our communities.  These young people will help influence their peers and go on to influence others as adults.

To learn more about the CBIM program and how to get started implementing it within your school or recreational sports program, contact WRCNM Community Prevention Educator, Dar Charlebois or Violence Prevention Team member, Mark Fralick at (231) 347-1572 or click here.