Reflection work with men sentenced for rape: denial, masculinityand possible paths for change

Abstract

This article presents some of the preliminary reflections resulting from research carried out
with men sentenced for rape within a Social Reintegration Center (CERESO) in the state of
Tlaxcala, Mexico. We share the methodology, which was used, especially the aspects regarding
the development of a Reflective Group, with the intention of generating collective reflections
that can facilitate accountability in the face of the exercise of violence. We propose that the
interlocutor’s denial of the crime is a strategy used by men sentenced for rape to preserve their
male status within the prison. Said denial is gets supported by the use stereotypes associated
with the idea of “the bad woman.” We conclude that the denial of rape is one of the key points
to analyze, if we hope to achieve the objectives of interventions such as the Reflective Group,
which seek to ensure that participants are able to identify, recognize and make decisions to stop
the exercises of violence.