Manreet Randhawa 1

The Effects of Toxic Masculinity on Women

According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 3 (35%) of women worldwide have

experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual

violence in their lifetime (WHO, 2021). But why are women so disproportionately affected?

What is causing all of this violence against women and are there any ways to prevent it? Sadly,

violence against women is very common, it is only surprising to those who turn a blind eye to it.

The cause of such violence is in most cases is toxic masculinity. Although the issue affects many

such as men, women, children, the LGBTQ+ community, and practically every human

everywhere, this essay will focus on its effects on women. Toxic masculinity has always been

around and has always had the same type of consequences for women. Toxic masculinity is a

term that describes a set of masculine traits that results in an attitude that consists of misogyny,

homophobia, and aggression. “Character traits of hegemonic masculinity include physical

strength, wealth and power-seeking, risk-taking, invulnerability, virility, stoic or suppressed

emotionality, control and dominance, excessive competitiveness and a rejection of femininity”

(Connell and Messerschmitt, 2005, as cited in Morrison, 2020) Toxic masculinity results in male

violence against women, which is often a brutal combination of physical, mental, and emotional

abuse, however, there are ways to help victims and create a culture of healthy masculinity.

To understand the consequences of toxic masculinity, it is important to know its origins

and how it develops. The term ‘toxic masculinity’ comes from an idea of some men thinking that

they must act tough and suppress their emotion that has negative consequences on both their

mental health as well as society as a whole. The development of this issue for men seems to start

at a young age, which leads them to then carry the same mindset into their teenage years and the

rest of their lives. One way they are taught this unhealthy mindset is when young boys are told
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that they should not cry because that is what girls do and you do not want to be weak as a girl,

this teaches them to suppress their emotions to seem tough. It develops into something that not

only imprisons them but it also hurts those around them. Another reason that a boy could

develop toxic masculinity is trauma caused by sexual abuse. Research suggests that at least 1 in 6

men have a history of early childhood sexual abuse, though the number is likely higher as young

men struggle to recognize the experience as abuse (Morrison, 2020). The reason that this trauma

sometimes results in toxic masculinity is that many men have trouble seeking help or getting the

proper resources needed to heal. Even if these men went through traumatic events, dismissing

these acts of violence is unacceptable. “Regardless of the unfortunate events in a man’s history,

he makes a choice to commit the violent act, and he is responsible and accountable for his

actions.” (Kilmartin and Allison, 2012)

Toxic masculinity can lead to men feeling entitled to engage in violence against women

to prove their dominance and rejection of feminity, this can lead to domestic violence, abusive

relationships, sexual assault, rape, street harassment, rejection violence, the seemingly

never-ending list goes on. It is problematic to women at any age and every age, whether that be

an abusive father to his daughter and wife, or a man controlling their partner in a relationship, or

a teenager getting sexually assaulted or raped. Sexual violence has always been a big issue, one

that is much bigger than many realize. According to the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, approximately 1 in 5 (21.3% or an estimated 25.5 million) women in the U.S.

reported completed or attempted rape at some point in their lifetime.” (2018) Many cases of

sexual assault and rape can be traced back to toxic masculinity because through rape and sexual

assault men can assert their dominance, take control, feed their ego and sense of self. “...Sexual

violence in the West is fundamentally a problem of masculinity—a manifestation of the

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phenomenon that gender studies conceptualizes as ‘toxic masculinity ” (Posadas, 2017). Street

harassment and rejection violence are also two issues that go hand in hand and stem from toxic

masculinity. Street harassment can be identified as catcalling, groping or other unsolicited violent

behaviour by a stranger with the purpose of “reinforce women’s position in a gendered world via

the application of fear” (Bharucha & Khatri, 2018 as cited in Thacker, 2019) Rejection violence

is the violence that takes place after a denial of some sort, in the case of street harassment

rejection violence is when a man makes a verbal remark (for example, a catcall) and then turns

violent when the comment is ignored or rejected. Because the woman showed no interest or

intention to satisfy the harasser’s sexual or romantic desires, he feels the need to teach the

woman a lesson. The violence takes place because the male feels as though his male power is

challenged or his pride is wounded and wishes to punish the offending party (Thacker, 2019).

It is important to know how to help survivors or victims of these violent crimes, begin the

healing process. Noticing and identifying the violence that is occurring is the first step toward

facilitating someone that is trying to get out of the situation whether that is domestic violence or

an abusive relationship. The decision to leave these situations is a complex one and often takes

place over a long period after considering many possible factors such as the dynamic of the

abuse and abuser, the resources the victim has or will need, social influences, for example,

religious beliefs and cultural norms, and child-related influences (Murray, 2015). Providing

emotional and material support to victims of domestic abuse, and sexual assault provides a solid

foundation on which the victim can rely to leave. When providing emotional support it is

important to acknowledge that their situation is complex, not speak poorly of their abuser, and to

create a safety plan. A safety plan helps the victim create a practical plan to improve one's safety

while experiencing abuse, preparing to leave, or after leaving an abusive situation. Although
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leaving the situation might take a long time sometimes six months to two years because research

on intimate partner violence has shown that the most dangerous period for a woman in an

abusive relationship is the period in which she attempts to leave; as a reaction to this rejection

and loss of power, the abuser may turn violent (Langhinrichsen-Rohling, 2005 as cited in

Thacker, 2019). While providing material support helping the person identify and connect with

support networks such as food banks, healthcare, and housing makes the process of leaving much

faster. You can also help them create a “to-go bag” in case of an emergency with important

documents, and with their permission, help them document instances of violence and abuse. In

cases of sexual assault survivors usually disclose to a peer, family, rather than professionals such

as doctors, social workers, teachers, or police (Hanson et al., 2003 as cited in Campbell,

Rebecca, et al). When survivors do disclose their assault the most important thing to do is

support them, with this support they are encouraged to tell an adult and get formal help, knowing

that they are supported. These are just a few ways to support survivors and victims who are

suffering from violence or the aftermath of it.

Moving forward, everyone must be a part of the conversation, this will ensure that voices

are heard and that appropriate changes are made. “Men are not naturally pro-feminist; we enjoy

our power and privileges; we have to be converted to a new way of thinking and acting” ( Poling,

James N., et al. 2013) Some of the most important steps to preventing violence against women

are to being willing to listen to women’s experiences, learning how to help them and opening up

to change. Listening to women’s experiences helps with developing an understanding of how

much it can affect one person, and if that same heartbreaking experience is applied to many more

women when the problem becomes a societal issue. Learning about how to support women is

one of the best ways to progress towards a safer society. Lastly, being open to new ideas and
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change, men need to both change their mindset as well as actions to move forward. For men to

be a part of the change they need to call out misogyny, locker room talk, and other unhealthy

behaviours when they see them, they must start practicing what they preach.

Toxic masculinity causes male violence against women, however, there are ways to help victims

and create a culture of healthy masculinity. Toxic masculinity can be caused by many things such

as sexual abuse, suppression of emotions, the need for control and dominance, amongst other

things. Some of the many issues that toxic masculinity causes are domestic violence, abusive

relationships, sexual assault, rape, street harassment, rejection violence. Ways to help survivors

or victims of violence include supporting them, creating a safety plan and “to-go” bag, and

connecting them to resources they might need. Some ways to prevent male violence against

women are to listen, learn and be willing to change. Not tolerating violence and unhealthy

behaviour is the way to create change and let people know that is unacceptable and we need to

progress toward a safer future. Toxic masculinity is an issue that has been damaging

communities for too long, now it is time to heal and change.

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Works cited

Bharucha, J. & Khatri, R. The sexual street harassment battle: perceptions of women in urban

India. The Journal of Adult Protection, 20(2), 101-109. 2018

https://doi.org/10.1108/JAP-12-2017-0038

Campbell, Rebecca, et al. “Pathways to Help: Adolescent Sexual Assault Victims’ Disclosure

and Help-Seeking Experiences.” Violence Against Women, vol. 21, no. 7, SAGE

Publications, 2015, pp. 824–47, doi:10.1177/1077801215584071.

Connell, Robert W., and James W. Messerschmidt. "Hegemonic masculinity: Rethinking the

concept." Gender & society 19.6 (2005): 829-859.

https://student.cc.uoc.gr/uploadFiles/181-%CE%9A%CE%9C%CE%9C%CE%9A397/C

onnell%20and%20Messerschmidt-Hegemonic%20masculinity.pdf

Kilmartin, Christopher., and Julie. Allison. Men’s Violence Against Women Theory, Research,

and Activism. Taylor and Francis, 2012.

Morrison, Colin James. "Toxic Masculinity, Male Childhood Sexual Trauma, and the Challenges

to How Young Men Heal," 2020.

https://dalspace.library.dal.ca/bitstream/handle/10222/79604/Morrison-Colin-MSW-SLW

K-June-2020.pdf?sequence=1

Murray, Christine E., et al. “Turning Points: Critical Incidents Prompting Survivors to Begin the

Process of Terminating Abusive Relationships.” The Family Journal (Alexandria, Va.),

vol. 23, no. 3, SAGE Publications, 2015, pp. 228–38, doi:10.1177/1066480715573705.

National domestic violence hotline. “Create a Safety Plan.” The Hotline, 28 Sept. 2020,

www.thehotline.org/create-a-safety-plan/.
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Poling, James N., et al. Men’s Work in Preventing Violence Against Women. Routledge, 2013

https://web-a-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.losrios.edu/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook?sid=6b90ddb

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Posadas, Jeremy. “Teaching the Cause of Rape Culture: Toxic Masculinity.” Journal of Feminist

Studies in Religion, vol. 33, no. 1, Indiana University Press, 2017, pp. 177–79,

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Smith, S.G., Zhang, X., Basile, K.C., Merrick, M.T., Wang, J., Kresnow, M., Chen, J. The

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Thacker, Lily Katherine, "The Danger Of ‘no’: Rejection Violence, Toxic Masculinity And

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