Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsGlorification of Unhealthy HabitsStigmatization of Mental Illness and HealthcareThe Roles of Race, Ethnicity, and GenderHelping BehaviorExamplesThe APA’s Guidelines
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Glorification of Unhealthy Habits
Stigmatization of Mental Illness and Healthcare
The Roles of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender
Helping Behavior
Examples
The APA’s Guidelines
Close
Toxic masculinity refers to a collection of offensive, harmful beliefs, tendencies, and behaviors rooted in traditional male roles but taken to an extreme. This dangerous idea of “manliness” perpetuates domination,homophobia, and aggression and can be harmful to the mental health of all genders. It also can have serious social consequences, which is how it became known as toxic masculinity.
Gynophobia: The Fear of Women
Many definitions of toxic masculinity appear in research as well as pop culture. Toxic masculinity generally has three core ideas.
Toxic masculinity glorifies unhealthy habits, deeming self-care and medical attention only for women and discouraging men from seeing doctors. A 2011 study found that men who held the strongest beliefs about masculinity were only half as likely as men with more moderate beliefs about masculinity to get preventative health care.
Likewise, toxic masculinity promotes the idea that “real” men treat their bodies like machines, need little sleep, work out even when they’re injured, and push themselves to their physical limits.
Research indicates that strong conformity to masculine norms fosters risky behaviors such asheavy drinking, tobacco use, and poor diet. Men who exhibit toxic masculinity tend to view these choices as normal.
Toxic masculinity also discourages men from getting mental health treatment.Depression, anxiety, substance use issues, and mental health problems may be viewed as weaknesses.
A 2015 study found that men who bought into traditional notions of masculinity held more of a negative attitude about seeking mental health services compared to those with more flexible gender attitudes.
Toxic masculinity may also stress that it’s inappropriate for men to talk about their feelings. Avoiding conversations about problems or emotions may increase feelings of isolation andloneliness.
It may also reduce men’swillingness to reach outand get help when they’re experiencing a mental health issue.
What Does Depression Look Like in Men? Here Are 15 Signs and Symptoms
A man’s race and ethnicity may play a role in how he views masculinity as well as how others perceive him. For example, a 2013 study found that, among white college students, Asian-American men are viewed as less manly than white or Black American men.
The masculine requirement to remain stoic and be a good provider can lead to “John Henryism” in African-American men. This term is used to describe men who use high effort as a way to cope with problems, even in the face of chronic stress and discrimination. A 2016 study linked “John Henryism” to an increased risk of hypertension and depression.
Boys of all races and ethnic backgrounds who don’t act “masculine enough” may be subjected to harassment at school.
The 2015 National School Climate Survey found that 85% of LGBTQ+ students reported being verbally harassed at school over their gender expression or sexual orientation.
Gender non-conforming students reported worse treatment than the kids who conform to traditional gender norms while also identifying as LGBTQ+.
What Does Gender Nonconforming Mean?
Men who view themselves as very masculine are less likely to engage in what researchers call “helping behavior.” That means they are not likely to intervene when they witness bullying or when they see someone being assaulted.
In instances of sexual assault, for example, men who identified the most with masculine behaviors were less likely to stop the assault. The study found that men wouldn’t intervene in any conflict if they thought their reputation as being traditionally masculine might be compromised.
Toxic Masculinity Examples
Unfortunately, there can be toxic masculinity in relationships, schools, and workplaces. Here are some everyday examples:
Over the years, the American Psychological Association (APA) began to recognize that societal pressures placed on men can have drastic consequences for individuals as well as society.
Members of the APA created new guidelines for psychological practices that treat boys and men to help address some of the problems associated with toxic masculinity.
Drawing on more than 40 years of research, they suggest that traditional masculinity is psychologically harmful. They also report that socializing boys to suppress their emotions creates damage, both inwardly and outwardly.
Researchers found that when they stripped away stereotypes and cultural expectations, there weren’t many differences in the basic behaviors between men and women. Time diary studies (studies that have participants log diary entries of their activities) showed that men enjoy caring for children just as much as women.
Differences in emotional displays between boys and girls are relatively small and not always in a stereotypical fashion. For example, a 2013 study found that adolescent boys actually display fewer externalizing emotions such as anger, than adolescent girls.
The new APA guidelines were created to help psychologists support men in breaking free of masculinity rules that do more harm than good.
Takeways
If you feel like you’re experiencing the negative effects of toxic masculinity, reach out to a mental health professional. They can help you recognize how it’s affecting your life and help you break free from unhealthy patterns, dangerous behaviors, and harmful beliefs.
What Is Toxic Femininity?
14 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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