Teach kids to reject abuse

Re Boys, men must do the right thing — it will save the lives of women,

Opinion, Aug. 16 Glen Canning’s column is once again a painful reminder about bullying and its repercussions. Bullying takes many forms: cyberbullying, verbal/physical abuse and psychological trauma.

Young men, who will one day be husbands and fathers, should see first-hand the consequences of what a male fist to a female face looks like.

To earn graduation volunteer credits, take young men to a women’s shelter to do volunteer work in the office, kitchen or laundry room. Let them come face-to-face with a woman beaten black and blue by an angry male, usually twice her size.

The internet and its managers wash their hands of the bloodshed they cause and grow rich on, much like Pilate, who washed his hands after ordering Christ’s crucifixion. Ida Fedor-Baan, Toronto

As the grandmother of a 10-year-old girl, mother of adult women and survivor of abuse, I know that some men are already doing the right thing.

The white ribbon campaign is worldwide, the men’s groups of the ’80s have come and gone and women are still attacked. It is a slow process.

We cannot rely on men or the courts to open their eyes and save us. Feminist laws do not protect before the fact. We need to facilitate and encourage self-defence courses for girls. We need to be able to fight back with skill.

With the philosophical training, we also learn self-respect. With self-respect, we are less likely to abuse alcohol to impress men. My granddaughter is working on her fourth taekwondo belt. Eva Saphir, Toronto