In the same way that women are wary of what kind of man any given guy is, for fear of her physical safety men are wary of what kind of woman the women around them are for his emotional, and sometimes social safety. Both of the ills the sexes are worried about happen so frequently to make this justified.

I don't know a single woman whom I've become more than acquaintances with that has not been harmed or assaulted by at least one man in her life, often multiple. In the same regard every time I have had the displeasure of peeking behind the curtain of someone's relationship, all of those women I've seen haven't hesitated to use sensitive and personal admissions their man confessed in a moment of vulnerability to use against him- often every time they argue.

I do think that we should foster a culture where men are allowed to approach women and ask if they'd be interested in them, and we should also foster a culture wherein a 'no' is respected without fear of a violent response due to injury of ego. A culture where a 'no' Is expected, instead of the possibility of an 'ew! No why would I ever"

I'm not sure how we would get either side feeling safe enough to do it, though.