An article in today’s New York Times, Reporting Rape and Wishing She Hadn’t, is one of many recent print and online pieces addressing campus rapes and sexual assaults.  These incidents are both disturbing and yet not at all surprising – the tea leaves have all been in place for a very long time.

Our forthcoming play, “Spoiled,” explores masculine self-images behind gender violence in the USA and India.

In preparation, I would love to get comments on this topic. For example:

• Why do some men come to see these type of assaults as acceptable?
• What really are the cultural influences shaping young men today?
• Have we all – as parents, siblings, teachers, co-workers – contributed to permit such perceptions of entitlement?  How?
• Do young men today think dominance over women is necessary to ‘be a man’?  If so, where does that come from?
• Are these attitudes really so common – or are we just shining a light on the aberrations?

Comments long or short all appreciated. Many thanks in advance.