Confronting the dinosaur in the room: The international day for the elimination of violence against men and boys

Jerome Teelucksingh (j_teelucksingh@yahoo.com)
Jerome Teelucksingh is a Senior Lecturer in the History Department at the University of the West Indies. He revived International Men's Day (19 November) and also initiated the inaugural observance of World Day of the Boy Child (16 May). Dr. Teelucksingh has been promoting IMD since 1999, and it has spread to approximately 70 countries.

Abstract

Violence against men and boys is under-reported, ridiculed and often ignored. The phrase the elephant in the room effectively describes what’s obvious but difficult to acknowledge. Violence against males is, however, a crisis that is much larger and older than the proverbial elephant: one might rightly call violence against males the dinosaur in the room. In response to this obvious-but-often-ignored problem, the inaugural observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Men and Boys was commemorated on 31 January, 2020. This observance will continue annually because men and boys need a special day that draws our attention to their experience of violence.

Keywords:  boys, violence, males, masculinity men

Author Biography

Jerome Teelucksingh is a Senior Lecturer in the History Department at the University of the West Indies. He revived International Men’s Day (19 November) and also initiated the inaugural observance of World Day of the Boy Child (16 May). Dr. Teelucksingh has been promoting IMD since 1999, and it has spread to approximately 70 countries.

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