From the belief that men must always be in control to the growing acceptance of sexual aggression toward women, toxic masculinity shapes our daily lives and continues to become more normalized. Toxic masculinity should not be normalized or supported, and people need to see the severity of the issue so they can prevent it before it is too late.
When people think of “toxic masculinity,” they usually think of the more obvious examples, such as notions about alpha males and negative denotations of women. Though these are examples of toxic masculinity, it actually goes way deeper than we think. Many of these men hold the idea that women need to submit to them, which has made them think that they can act on any impulses they have against women.
In a study done by Binghamton University, it was found that men with higher toxic masculine traits, such as the belief that men are the main providers and the concept of emotional resilience, reported that they would continue to make sexual advances on women, whether or not it seemed consensual. Men of this sort believe that they need to take control of every situation, even if it puts the people around them in uncomfortable and dangerous situations.
Similarly, the idea that toxic masculinity promotes sexual assault can even be followed into the courtroom, where many sexual assault cases are not being taken seriously and are fueling toxic masculinity in men. There have been instances where sexual predators are let off easy, such as one seen in an article from The Medium, where Judge James Troiano dismissed a 16-year-old’s rape charge since ‘he has good values and a promising future,’ ignoring the horrific act he committed, and encouraging other assault cases to be handled the same.
This is just one of the many occasions where a sexual assault case with a male perpetrator has not been taken seriously, and follows the trend we see with toxic masculinity minimizing the severity of sexual assault. Not only does this broken system that lets men off easily leave the victim unprotected, but it also leads the assaulter to believe that his behavior is okay and he can do whatever he wants without any real consequences. Toxic masculinity is not only dangerous for the men it affects but also the women around them.
As social media continues to grow, and we continue to see different personalities come across our feeds, the idea that toxic masculinity is normal continues to grow. Many different social media influencers are promoting toxic masculinity, such as Andrew Tate, who has over 10 million followers on X and is known for his blatant misogyny towards women.
During his prime year in 2022, his presence on social media was normal, and it was no big surprise when he came across everyone’s feeds once again, spreading his misogynistic views. His return on social media led many young and vulnerable boys to believe that it is normal to behave in the way he does, since there were not many advocates against his harmful behavior. Though he is not as popular as he once was, there have been many other men, and even women, who have similar views to Tate, and continue to trick young boys into thinking that is how they should treat the women around them.
Not only is toxic masculinity harmful to women, but the effects of toxic masculinity are becoming increasingly dangerous for men. There is a common expectation among men that they are to repress their emotions because emotions are reserved for women only. While this is obviously not true, many men believe it anyway, which has caused them to ignore their mental health.
In a study done by JAMA Psychiatry, it was found that men with higher perceived traditional masculinity are 2.4 times more likely to die from suicide than men who do not present with it. Not only are these men with high toxic masculinity suffering from issues with their mental health, but in the most extreme cases, they are committing suicide because of it.
