I'm Dan Jurek, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Marriage and Family Therapist with over 35 years of clinical experience in Lafayette, Louisiana. I've worked extensively with men's mental health and relationship dynamics, including addressing harmful behaviors in individual and couples therapy. The root cause of objectifying behavior often stems from a toxic combination of poor emotional regulation, inadequate socialization around healthy masculinity, and deep-seated insecurity. In my practice, I've seen men who objectify women are frequently those who were never taught to process emotions constructively or form genuine connections. They resort to sexualizing interactions because vulnerability feels dangerous--it's easier to reduce someone to an object than risk authentic relating. Many also learned these patterns from peer groups or media that reinforced the idea that male worth is tied to sexual conquest. Regarding whether things have improved, I'd say it's complicated. While awareness has increased and some men are genuinely working on themselves, others have doubled down or moved their behavior underground--like shifting from workplace comments to anonymous online harassment. The conversation has improved, but behavioral change lags behind cultural dialogue. In my men's therapy groups, younger clients show more awareness but still struggle with unlearning deeply ingrained patterns. When telling someone off doesn't work, women need a multi-layered approach. Document everything--texts, emails, witness names. Escalate through formal channels immediately: HR, supervisors, or law enforcement depending on severity. I advise my female clients to be direct but emotionally neutral in their rejection--predatory men often feed off emotional reactions. Create physical and digital boundaries, block communication channels, and never engage alone if you feel unsafe. Your safety trumps politeness every single time.
I'm Beth Southorn, Executive Director of LifeSTEPS, and over 30 years working directly with vulnerable populations--including domestic violence survivors in our 36,000+ affordable housing units--I've witnessed the housing and safety side of this issue that most don't see. Here's what I've learned from our residents: objectifying behavior often escalates when men have experienced chronic instability or witnessed transactional relationships during formative years. In our supportive housing communities, we tracked incidents and found that men who'd cycled through homelessness were 3x more likely to exhibit boundary violations with female staff. The pattern? They learned to commodify every interaction for survival. When you've had to manipulate systems just to eat, some generalize that to all relationships. The most effective response I've seen isn't confrontation--it's strategic invisibility combined with institutional memory. One of our veteran service coordinators keeps a shared database of problem behaviors across our 422 properties. When a resident crosses lines with her, she immediately transfers his case to male staff and flags his file. No drama, no explanation given to him. He loses access to the person he targeted, and every future interaction is documented and witnessed. What actually changes behavior in our programs? Consistent consequences tied to something they value. We had a resident sending inappropriate texts to our aging-in-place coordinator. Standard warnings failed. We tied his continued housing support services to completing our respectful communication workshop and meeting only with male staff for 90 days. He complied because he had skin in the game--his housing stability depended on it.
I'm Rachel Acres, a certified addiction counsellor who's spent nine years working with people in recovery. Through The Freedom Room, I've counselled hundreds of individuals dealing with compulsive behaviours, and what I've observed is that objectification often shares the same root as addiction--an inability to manage uncomfortable emotions without external "fixes." In my counselling practice, I've noticed men who objectify women are frequently using that behaviour the same way I used alcohol--to avoid sitting with anxiety, inadequacy, or emptiness. They're chasing a dopamine hit through sexual validation because they haven't developed healthier coping mechanisms. The pattern is identical to what I see in addiction: obsessive thinking, compulsive action despite negative consequences, and complete disregard for harm caused to others. Has it lessened with increased awareness? From what I see in my sessions, it's actually morphed. Men now know the language of accountability but haven't done the internal work. They'll apologise and immediately repeat the behaviour because awareness without action changes nothing--just like an alcoholic who knows drinking is destroying their life but hasn't addressed the underlying spiritual malady. The most effective response I've witnessed? Women who treat it like I treat my recovery--they focus on what they can control, which is removing themselves from the situation entirely and creating firm boundaries with consequences. One client switched departments and documented everything, then her harasser lost his job six months later when three other women came forward with her paper trail backing them up.
I'm Holly Gedwed, LPC-Associate and LCDC with 14 years treating trauma and addiction at Southlake Integrative Counseling and Wellness. In my practice, I've noticed objectification stems from what I call "emotional bypassing"--men who never developed the distress tolerance skills to sit with uncomfortable feelings like vulnerability or uncertainty. They've learned to shortcut directly to sexualized interaction because it feels safer than risking genuine emotional exposure. The progressive callout culture hasn't lessened the behavior--it's driven it underground and online where men feel anonymous. I'm seeing more clients, particularly young men, who compartmentalize their online personas from their real-world behavior. They'll send explicit DMs they'd never say face-to-face because the screen creates psychological distance from consequences. One 28-year-old client I worked with sent inappropriate messages to dozens of women while maintaining a "respectful guy" image at work--he genuinely didn't connect the two behaviors as the same person. When telling them off doesn't work, I teach women a technique from my DBT practice called "gray rocking with redirection." You become as uninteresting as possible--respond only with flat, boring logistics. One client had a coworker making sexual comments daily. Instead of reacting, she'd reply with mundane work questions: "Did you finish the quarterly report?" Every single time. Within two weeks he stopped because she offered zero emotional fuel. Document everything simultaneously for HR, but remove yourself as an emotional target.
I'm Jessie Eli, a licensed massage therapist and founder of Dermal Era Holistic Med Spa in Miami. I've worked with hundreds of women healing from trauma--including those processing unwanted sexual attention and workplace violations--through somatic bodywork and energy healing for over a decade. From what I've witnessed in my practice, objectifying behavior often comes from men being completely disconnected from their own bodies and emotions. They're walking around numb, never taught to feel their feelings or regulate their nervous system, so they project that disconnection outward. I've had male clients admit they sent inappropriate messages during anxiety spirals--not as an excuse, but because they literally couldn't sit with discomfort without acting out sexually. It's dysregulation masquerading as desire. What I teach my female clients is this: your body knows before your mind does. If a man makes you uncomfortable, your nervous system is already in defense mode--trust that. I've watched women override their gut instinct to be "nice" and later regret it. The most powerful response isn't verbal--it's energetic withdrawal. Go completely flat in your affect, break eye contact, physically turn your body away. Predators are reading for emotional supply; when you give them nothing, they move on. The piece that nobody talks about: many women carry this violation in their tissues long after the interaction ends. I see it show up as chronic neck tension, TMJ from jaw clenching, even breakouts along the jawline--all tied to unspoken anger and boundary violations. Healing isn't just about the confrontation; it's about letting your body release what it's been holding.
From a psychological perspective, men who objectify women often do so because of internalized social conditioning and power dynamics. Research in objectification theory suggests that some men learn to equate dominance with masculinity, reducing women to appearances or sexual availability rather than recognizing them as full individuals. Behaviors like sending lewd DMs or making inappropriate comments are often less about attraction and more about exerting control, testing boundaries, or seeking validation in unhealthy ways. As for whether this behavior has lessened, the reality is nuanced. Progressive attitudes and public accountability have made objectification more visible and less socially acceptable. In many workplaces and online spaces, calling out toxic masculinity has created consequences that didn't exist before. However, visibility can also give the impression that such behavior is increasing, when in fact it is being exposed more frequently. In some cases, backlash against progress has led to more covert or defensive expressions of the same attitudes. When it comes to responding, the most effective strategy for women—if direct confrontation doesn't work—is to document and escalate. Keeping records of inappropriate messages or workplace incidents provides evidence for HR, legal channels, or platform moderators. Equally important is seeking allies—whether colleagues, supervisors, or community members—so the burden of response doesn't fall solely on the woman. The key takeaway is that inappropriate advances are not a woman's responsibility to "manage" alone; they require systemic accountability and cultural change.
Objectifying or harassing behavior toward women rarely stems from a single cause, it's often rooted in a combination of psychological, social, and cultural factors that shape how some men perceive power, intimacy, and gender dynamics. At its core, this behavior is often less about genuine sexual interest and more about power, entitlement, and distorted beliefs around women and sexuality. One major psychological driver is dehumanization through objectification. When women are seen primarily as sexual objects rather than full individuals, it becomes easier for someone to disregard boundaries, empathy, or respect. This cognitive framing often develops through early socialization (media, peer groups, and cultural norms) that normalize male entitlement to women's attention or bodies. Over time, these distorted beliefs can become internalized and expressed through overtly sexual or harassing behavior. Another significant factor is insecure masculinity and the need for control or validation. Some men engage in this behavior to assert dominance, mask feelings of inadequacy, or boost their own sense of power. The behavior may also reflect poor emotional regulation and underdeveloped interpersonal skills, where inappropriate sexual advances are used as a misguided substitute for genuine connection. Certain individuals also display impulsivity and lack of empathy, which can be tied to personality traits or even pathological patterns in more extreme cases.
As a founder who oversees hundreds of staff at high-profile events, I have had to study workplace behavior and implement strict training around professionalism, boundaries, and respect. I work closely with behavioral consultants to ensure that our team culture eliminates any space for objectification or harassment, so I have seen firsthand how and why this behavior appears—and how it can be corrected. The psychological root of men objectifying women often comes down to insecurity and power imbalance. Some men seek validation or control through inappropriate behavior because they lack healthy self-worth or emotional awareness. Objectification is rarely about attraction; it is about ego and dominance. It reflects a failure to develop empathy and social maturity. While awareness around toxic masculinity has grown, I would not say the behavior has disappeared. What has changed is visibility. Social media and stronger workplace accountability now expose what used to happen quietly. In some cases, men who feel threatened by this shift double down instead of reflecting, which makes education and accountability even more important. For women dealing with unwanted advances, clear boundaries and documentation are essential. If direct communication fails, escalate through formal channels—HR, management, or legal counsel. It is not a woman's responsibility to educate or reform a man who crosses the line. The most effective response is structural, not emotional: a system that enforces respect and consequences, not just conversations.