Violence is not only about the power of men over women it also comes from men’s own life experiences and fears. For some young men, the use of violence is a way of proving to themselves and those around them that they are “real men”. Raised by fathers who may have attended residential school or who do not know how to nurture or show affection, some young men grow up unable to feel what others feel, unable to be empathetic. If you do not feel what others feel, you are more likely to commit violence because you are not fully aware of the damage you are doing.

Many young men are taught to suppress their emotions. They have been taught that feelings make them weak and feminine. But feelings are a part of being human. When we try to suppress feelings, they often re-emerge in the form of aggression and violence.

Many young men grew up witnessing violence in the home or directly experiencing violence themselves. Although this leads some to refuse to use violence themselves, it has taught others that the use of force is acceptable in personal relations.

None of these factors are an excuse for individual acts of violence but by understanding these factors, we get closer to changing the conditions that create violence in the first place. All forms of racialized and sexualized violence against Aboriginal women must stop.