Risk and Violence: Tests of Courage

Adapted from Program H
Program Coordination: Instituto Promundo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Purpose:
To reflect on “tests of courage” and exposure to risks to demonstrate courage, virility and masculinity, as a way of gaining acceptance by the peer group (group of friends).

Materials required:
A space to work and creativity.

Recommended time: One hour and a half

Planning tips/notes:
Very often, to be accepted by a group of friends, young men tend to place themselves in risky situations as a test of courage and virility. Anyone who refuses to do so, is accused of being weak, square or a coward. Sometimes, the desire to experience a new emotion, facing dangerous and challenging situations, also induces young men to expose themselves to risks. Some stories have a tragic ending, resulting in injury, sometimes serious and irreversible, if not in death. What has that to do with young men? Why the need to “prove that one is courageous”? This activity seeks to encourage a discussion on the question, since very often young people are too embarrassed to talk about it, or simply do not want to talk about the subject. The examples included here should be adapted to each setting, as “tests of courage” vary a lot from place to place, depending on the country, town, social class, urban or rural environment, etc.

Procedure:

• Explain that the activity aims at talking about tests of courage and exposure to risk and danger.
• Ask the group to divide themselves into smaller groups of 4 to 5 participants. Each of the groups will receive a sheet of paper with the start of a story which they will have to complete in any way they like and then present to the others. Preferably by staging a short play based on the narrative of the story.
• Allow each group about 20 minutes to complete this task.
• Ask each group to present their work and then open up the discussion. A discussion script is given below.

Cases for discussion:

• Mark was already a senior at his school. When the new term began he and his group were preparing the initiation ritual for new students. Only this time, they wanted something a little more radical for the newcomers. So they decided to....
• Vince was new at the school. He had a large scar on his forehead. Everybody asked him what had happened. Vince was proud of his scar, saying that he had had a real adventure. He began to tell his story ...
• Rob loves the beach, but he doesn’t know how to swim properly. Last weekend his oldest brother with his group of friends decided to go to the beach when the sea was rough and treacherous. Everyone rushed into the sea but Rob was too afraid to go in. Egged on by his brother’s oldest friends, Rob dived into the sea and almost drowned. Rob was called a real loser by his friends and he....
• Leo is crazy about motorbikes. After he bought his bike, that was all he could think about. He was invited by some school friends to go watch some guys playing “chicken” in a nearby neighborhood. When he got there, Leo was challenged by another guy who was performing wild antics on his bike to see who was the best. Leo refused and the....

Discussion questions

• What tests of courage have I performed?
• What did I want to prove and to whom?
• What is it like to experience danger?
• How did I feel?
• Did you ever think something might have gone wrong?
• And what if it left a mark on your body (a scar or something like that)?
• And if I refused to perform one of these “tests of courage”, where would that leave me?
• Does anyone know of a case that had a tragic end?

Closing:
Ask the group what their impressions are concerning the stories related, as well as their own personal stories, establishing a link between tests of courage and exposure to risk with the question of being a man and different masculinities. One can conclude this activity presenting data from the World Health Organization which shows that the level of morbidity and mortality among young men is related, among other factors, to accidents caused by their exposure to situations of risk. One can also reflect on the fact that, if to be a real man, it is necessary to submit to tests of masculinity, which involve risk and violence, this ends up constituting an act of violence against oneself. Concern with physical integrity, with your own body, represents an important point in discussing the development and health of a young man.

Link
This exercise is adapted from the manual From Violence to Peaceful Coexistence. Instituto Promundo, in partnership with Programa PAPAI, ECOS and Salud y Género, developed a series of five manuals and an animated video for health professionals and educators working with young men, ages 15 to 24, on themes of sexuality and reproductive health, fatherhood and care-giving, violence prevention, mental health, including drug abuse and suicide, and the prevention and care of HIV/AIDS.

To order the manuals and video please send the following information to promundo@promundo.org.br: Name, Institution, Address, Telephone, E-mail and Quantity (remember to also specify language)

• Explain that the activity aims at talking about tests of courage and exposure to risk and danger.
• Ask the group to divide themselves into smaller groups of 4 to 5 participants. Each of the groups will receive a sheet of paper with the start of a story which they will have to complete in any way they like and then present to the others. Preferably by staging a short play based on the narrative of the story.
• Allow each group about 20 minutes to complete this task.
• Ask each group to present their work and then open up the discussion. A discussion script is given below.

Instituto Promundo, in partnership with Programa PAPAI, ECOS and Salud y Género, developed a series of five manuals and an animated video for health professionals and educators working with young men, ages 15 to 24, on themes of sexuality and reproductive health, fatherhood and care-giving, violence prevention, mental health, including drug abuse and suicide, and the prevention and care of HIV/AIDS.

To order the manuals and video please send the following information to promundo@promundo.org.br: Name, Institution, Address, Telephone, E-mail and Quantity (remember to also specify language)