Do men need a license to be allowed socialise (MOD NOTE IN OP)

'The truth of the matter is our society is getting more violent'

no it is not, it is getting less violent, now is one of the safest times to live.

Just using your quote as a starting point. Most of what I'm writing is more general and more related to the thread, or the media, than your quoted piece.

It's not a fair comparison though, because of the perspective of actual threat involved. With men being physically stronger, the risk of violence is always there. You're not going to be afraid of a woman attacking you after being rejected. It's not that it can't happen, but even if she does attack you, there's a pretty good chance that you can physically stop the attack. However, it's unfair and unreasonable to extend that risk/threat to men in the first place, because the statistics don't support the belief that men will force a woman to do x, y, z.

I'd say the problem is that there is an interest by certain parties to encourage a sense of fear in society. I noticed this whenever I returned home after living abroad. When I left, Ireland was mostly safe (apart from the after pub/club crowd), with few real problems compared to countries like France or Germany. However each time I returned I was met with recommendations from friends not to be out late at night, not to go to certain areas, to be careful of groups of teens, etc. Each time there was a new possible threat of violence.

At the same time, I think there's a view for many women as if men can do or act whatever they wish without being concerned. However, I'd never go running when it got dark. I'd always stick to areas which I know see plenty of foot traffic. When approaching a group of lads, I'd generally cross the road, keeping an eye on them the whole time. Day or night, I'm mostly aware of who is around me. There is a far greater risk of male on male violence than male on female violence, but that gets little airtime.

A few years ago, I attended a martial arts event where the experts took (willing) people in off the street, and tested them against the experts, but also against other people in a little scrap. Even without looking at the difference in strength for men/women, the differences in strength for men was varied. We no longer live in a world where most men work daily in manual labor. A lot of exercise does little to generate true strength in the body.. and on top of that, few men have had any training in fighting. Even when they have experience in fighting (from school or their early 20s), in many cases, they've lost their awareness, and knowledge through the years since. As such, a few of the guys brought in off the street, managed to demolish most of the other guys involved. Even the martial artists struggled in terms of actual strength compared to some.

The point is that for many men the risks of a fight are extremely high. They're not built like a tank, and in many cases, due to their work or lifestyles aren't physically fit. If placed in a position of danger from a fight, a lot of guys are poorly equipped to fight another man, especially men who have a greater inclination towards aggression or physical violence. A guy looking to commit violence is more likely to attack another man, than a woman. Socially it's already unacceptable to attack a woman, but on top of that, the law itself is rather aggressive compared to violence committed towards a man.

The narrative in the media, or online is all about the risks that women face, and that men should do more. I appreciate the risks involved, but in many ways, the same risks are there for men. In some ways, the risks are greater for men.

This is not, and should not, be a competition to see which gender has it worse... although invariably we see in the media, efforts to make it out that women have it much worse. However, the simple truth is that when it comes to danger outside, the risks are high for everyone concerned. If someone, (male or female), was to walk up to me, and stab me in the belly, there would be nothing I could do. It wouldn't matter if I was a man or a woman, because such an attack is completely unexpected. If I, as a man, is attacked in the street by one or more men, I'm going to get beaten up.

Many years ago, myself and a mate, were beaten up by 7 guys who were leaving the nightclub, hadn't scored, were somewhat drunk etc etc. There was no defense. There were no fancy moves. A bottle to the head, kicks to the chest/ribs, kicks to the head, etc. That's the reality for men.

I think people have begun to see movie fights as being realistic. They're not. In any given fight, chances are, you're unprepared, and the other person has some advantage over you. Drop all the bravado, and it's not fair, equal, or whatever. It's dangerous every time.

I feel the media really need to be taken to task for promoting what they have so far. At the same time, we really need to consider what kind of society we're encouraging to develop. Some hard public conversations without all the posturing, need to occur, and we definitely need to stop all this BS about gender.

Lastly, I've asked this a few times in the thread, but haven't gotten any serious/practical/realistic answers. "men must do more". What is it that men are supposed to do? And what are individual men supposed to do? (bear in mind the practical risks in getting involved in a strangers situation).