A social media debate has gone viral, drawing the attention of both men and women alike. The debate consists of a scenario of who someone would rather encounter if they were alone in the woods– a man or a bear. 

Those who choose the bear, typically women, argue that the bear is the safer choice since they know what to expect from the bear. However, those who choose the man– who are typically men themselves– argue that being stuck with a bear is more dangerous.

What does the research say?

There is a wide range of evidence available from research studies that can be considered when looking at the debate. Some factors to consider include how often someone is harmed by a bear versus how often someone may be harmed by a man. 

“The 750,000 black bears of North America kill less than one person per year on the average, while men ages 18-24 are 167 times more likely to kill someone than a black bear,” the North American Bear Center writes.

It is a known fact that bears typically only attack when approached and provoked, and this makes the behavior of any bear encountered much more predictable for the person who finds themself alone in the woods. In comparison, men may respond to the loner wanderer in a variety of ways– including choosing violence for reasons other than self-defense. 

It is important to emphasize that this debate is not intended to portray all men as violent or dangerous, but it does highlight the fears that have been ingrained in many women from a young age. Women are often warned about walking alone at night, wearing revealing clothing, and being in “risky” locations because it may result in being assaulted; these warnings often come from their parents (including fathers), friends, the media, and more.

An estimate by CalPoly Humboldt states that 91% of sexually assaulted victims are women, while 9% of the victims are male; nearly 99% of the offenders that are identified are men. Another statistic states 

“Around the world, at least 1 woman in every 3 has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime,” CalPoly Humboldt writes.

This statistic does not mention the cases that are not reported nor talked about, so it is impossible to know how many more cases of assault on men or women go unreported. However, the data available does help people understand why it is primarily women who state they would rather encounter the bear in the woods than the man.

My choice

Personally, as a woman, I choose the bear. I would rather risk being killed by a hungry bear that is using me as a resource than risk the possibility of suffering for a man’s pleasure. Although there is a possibility that the man will not be dangerous I’ll rather take the risk with a bear. The worst a bear can do is kill me. 

An article from glamour.com mentions that the reason women choose the bear is not because they believe they can survive it, but because “they are saying that the potential outcome of the bear attack is still far less frightening than what a man could do to them.”

Yet for some reason, men still don’t seem to understand; men online are upset about women choosing the bear. They joke about women being uneducated on the dangers of bears, and not watching enough nature documentaries; however, the problem is that most women have seen plenty of true crime documentaries and news broadcasts.

Women are aware of how dangerous a bear can be. They know that an animal in the woods will act accordingly, but when it comes to a man, they are left with the question: which type of man is this?