COLUMBUS, Ohio -- "Boys will be boys."

"Nice guys finish last."

And "Man-up" are just some of the expressions that men may be told throughout their lifetime.

While they may seem harmless, research shows such stereotypes can actually support violence.

Glenn Harris is the coordinator of the Engaging Men program at the Ohio Men's Action Network (OHMAN) which works with men and boys on violence prevention. He explains hyper-masculine attitudes and behaviors lessen the value of women, and contribute to the idea that men must be strong and in control.

"Getting to some root attitudes and beliefs that start very early age and are often perpetuated through various social constructs -- whether it be athletics, whether it be certain male fraternal structures and different things of that nature that continually feed to this notion of what being a man is," Harris states.

OHMAN's workshop, The New Playbook: Standing Strong to Promote Non-Violence, helps men construct positive masculinity, and learn about bystander intervention, leadership and community organizing, so they can influence others about non-violent and respectful relationships.

Harris says popular culture can also perpetuate violence, and offers the example of the slang term "wife beater," which is used to describe a sleeveless, white undershirt.

"Men often walk around with a certain sign of strength when they have that shirt on," he points out. "How do we eradicate that from the vocabulary? Out on the football field, in the classroom, out on the recess? How do we start to remove language and some of the things that can dishonor boys and girls to be predisposed to violence?"

Harris adds the COVID-19 pandemic has forced his group to get creative with technology, and workshops are currently being transitioned to an online space. But there is a silver lining.

"Which opens up the door to more men, because now I don't have to commit to an eight-hour workshop," he states. "I can now take modules at my own leisure. In addition have an opportunity to self-reflect as I go through these modules and not immediately going on to the next topic, so-to-speak."

Harris notes the network is also working within the LGBTQ community and other minority populations that are often disproportionately victims of some of the violence.

Ohioans who work, day in and day out, with some of the most vulnerable populations are struggling with major burnout, according to new data.

Program directors and staff in the Ohio Victim Services Compensation 2022 survey reported they don't earn what they see as a living wage, and 45% of staff said their salaries don't cover their basic needs.

Rosa Beltre, president and chief executive of the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, explained that these workers are first responders for survivors of violence and sexual assault. She agreed that they are overextended and underpaid.

"We are on the field of anti-oppression and anti-violence," she said, "and the way that we pay our staff, the way that we compensate our staff continues to fall into the cycles of oppressive methods."

In the survey, 57% reported having to work more than one job to make ends meet, which leads to fatigue and lower performance at their Victim Services job. Average Victim Services budgets fell 16% between 2020 and 2022, which means less funding available to pay employees.

Beltre said Victim Services workers often are expected to be well-versed in legal and medical advocacy as well as social work and psychology. She contended they deserve a compensation package that includes a competitive salary, health-care and retirement benefits, and reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses, from gas to education.

"We're asking them to come in with a master's degree in social work or be a sociologist," she said, "and what we're paying them doesn't cover their expenses, or the years that it took them to obtain the degree or the experience."

The bulk of funding for victim-services organizations comes from the federal Victims of Crimes Act, which consists of fines and penalties paid by convicted offenders. Beltre said the funding has decreased more than 70% in Ohio in the past few years.

"That has trickled down to the programs, that has trickled down to the services, and we are not exempt from the exodus that all of the corporations or organizations are experiencing," she said. "We have been heavily hit, and it's not sustainable."

The VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victim Funds Act of 2021 will provide more federal dollars to states. However, it will take time for the funds to be distributed.

Economic supports could be the key to reducing intimate-partner violence, which claims the lives of dozens of Ohioans each year.

Research from the Ohio Domestic Violence Network showed during times of financial insecurity, people are at a higher risk of violent behavior.

Rebecca Cline, director of prevention for the Network, explained individuals are targeted for intimate-partner violence, often because they are marginalized and made vulnerable by oppressive systems.

"High rates of poverty, high rates of unemployment, high rates of social disorganization," Cline outlined. "All of those things contribute to conditions that create additional risks for violence perpetration and victimization."

Cline also pointed to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report which found a nearly five times greater firearm homicide rate in counties with the highest poverty levels, and it mentions economic supports as a pathway to gun-violence prevention. Data show 4.5 million women have reported being threatened with a gun by an intimate partner.

The research suggested strengthening economic supports for families by expanding access to affordable child care, health care, transportation and housing, making the Ohio Earned Income Tax Credit fully refundable, and raising wages.

Cline pointed out a minimum-wage worker in Ohio earns less than $20,000 a year, but a single parent of two needs nearly four times as much to earn a living wage.

"$76,000 a year," Cline asserted. "And that's to be able to afford housing, transportation, child care and all the other things a family needs to live sustainably and efficiently instead of in scarcity. "

She emphasized policies can be most effective with a holistic approach, bringing local and state partners together.

"The smarter we get about our prevention work, the more evidence that begins to emerge about where we need to go, the more promising our prevention work will be," Cline stated. "And it's long-term work."

Cline added measures to improve community connectedness can reduce violence, which can be as simple as picking up litter or planting flowers. Individuals can also talk to their elected leaders about policies to help reduce violence.

Kentucky will soon begin developing a coordinated, statewide system for reporting crimes related to intimate-partner violence. Gov. Andy Beshear's signature on Senate Bill 271 mandates data collection on domestic violence.

Advocacy groups say they have struggled for years to verify state records of these types of cases, and have relied primarily on media reports and information from local shelters.

Andrea Robinson, executive director of Oasis Women's Shelter in the Owensboro area, said homicides involving an intimate partner are likely underreported.

"By us collecting this data, it's going to potentially help shape laws that will better protect victims," Robinson stated.

The new law requires Kentucky State Police, Administrative Office of the Courts, State Medical Examiner's Office, and coroner's office to gather and report annual domestic violence-related data to the state's Criminal Justice Analysis Center.

According to the University of Kentucky's Violent Death Reporting system, between 2005 and 2017, Kentucky saw 462 documented deaths related to intimate partner violence.

Meg Savage, chief legal officer for the Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said like any other public health issue, communities, advocacy groups and social-service agencies need accurate reporting in order to develop best practices and prevention strategies.

"Even to start looking at, you know, domestic violence homicides and what might be the underlying causes and trends and red flags, etc.," Savage outlined. "That could help us improve our systems."

Robinson believes inaccurate data is masking the prevalence of household violence in the Commonwealth.

"I think it's important for us to be able to recognize how many victims are murdered and losing their lives," Robinson emphasized. "Because it brings awareness to how real and serious domestic violence is."

If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 for help, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.