A BRISBANE teacher who wants to reduce domestic violence and coward punches says dads need to step up, and mums need to step back.

Moreton Bay Boys’ College deputy head Damien Barry has been awarded a Churchill Fellowship to develop a program to help teenage boys develop into good men.

He has already created a fledgling program at his college called The Good Men Project, which focuses on creating a community of strong, compassionate male role models for the students.

“Men need to teach men,” he said.

“They need good women in their lives but we can’t just leave them to the women.”

The Project encouraged fathers to engage in school life and provided training for male teachers to understand their own masculinity and to teach boys’ about theirs.

He said domestic violence was “all about men”.

“It’s overwhelmingly blokes hitting families, not the other way around,” he said.

“And it’s not just domestic violence, it’s about helping boys make the right decisions when they get a little bit older.

“Everything from reducing risk-taking behaviours to coward punches to getting on the grog and getting into fights.”

The fellowship will pay for his travels to see similar programs in America and other countries.

“We want them to understand their strength and masculinity is a gift … they need to use to nurture rather than to hurt,” he said.

Mr Barry hoped the program would eventually be used nationwide to teach young men to care for their community and loved ones.