10: Masculinity, Aggression, and Violence

The Psychology of Women - An Inclusive Approach · LibreTexts

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    From LibreTexts, under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, as the source states it; its equations are written in TeX, which the PDF shows typeset. This page at LibreTexts.

    Caution

    A content note before we begin. This chapter discusses sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and other forms of violence directly.

    It occurred to me, those first weeks of training, that the man on Orchard Street tried to fight me because I too was looking for a fight. I had ventured, somehow, deep into the “man box,” a sweltering and bandaged thing, a mummy’s wrap around my body and the bodies of almost every man I know, stitched with the brutal language that ensures conformity, the outline of muscles pushed into being under the weight of “boys will be boys” and “real men” and “man up.”
    - Thomas Page McBee, Amateur: A Story About What Makes a Man (2018)

    • 10.1: Introduction
      This page delves into Thomas Page McBee's memoir *Amateur*, where he, as a trans man, examines masculinity and violence. It challenges the view that biology drives male violence, highlighting that cultural definitions of manhood promote aggression as a means of asserting masculinity. The content will cover various models of manhood, scientific insights on aggression, types of violence, and the factors that both cause and mitigate such behaviors.
    • 10.2: Models of Manhood
      This page examines "precarious manhood," outlining how masculinity is viewed as a status that must be constantly earned, leading to anxiety and aggression when threatened. It highlights societal pressures on men to demonstrate their masculinity and discusses the impact of intersectionality, revealing how different racial and cultural backgrounds—particularly for Black, Latino, Asian American men, and trans men—shape their experiences and challenges related to masculine identity.
    • 10.3: What Counts as Aggression
      This page covers aggression as behavior aimed at causing harm, distinguishing it from violence and categorizing it into physical, verbal, direct, and indirect forms. It highlights gender differences, with boys being more physically aggressive but no significant disparity in relational aggression. The page also examines online aggression, street harassment, and the effects of societal norms on gendered aggression experiences, including the influence of body size and gender presentation.
    • 10.4: Violence Against Trans Women
      This page discusses the high rates of violence faced by trans women, driven by systemic misogyny and trans misogyny. It highlights the impact of interpersonal aggression, state violence, and anti-trans laws, particularly affecting trans women of color. Studies show elevated levels of verbal and physical abuse, often perpetrated by strangers. The troubling "trans panic" defense allows offenders to evade accountability.
    • 10.5: Intimate Partner Violence
      This page discusses intimate partner violence (IPV), which includes physical, sexual, or psychological harm from a partner. Sociologist Michael Johnson categorizes IPV into situational couple violence and intimate terrorism, the latter being more severe and predominantly male-driven.
    • 10.6: Sexual Violence
      This page addresses sexual violence, defining it as non-consensual acts like assault and rape. It emphasizes its prevalence, especially among women and marginalized groups, and examines the motivations of perpetrators through the confluence model of sexual aggression. Rape myths are discussed regarding their effects on survivor reporting and societal views, contributing to underreporting and insufficient support systems.
    • 10.7: Explaining and Preventing Gender-Based Violence
      This page explores men's violence through psychological concepts, particularly Eli Finkel's I³ model, which includes impellance (beliefs promoting aggression), instigation (situational triggers), and inhibition (self-control).

     

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    This page titled 10: Masculinity, Aggression, and Violence was last modified on Sun, 13 Sep 2026 22:46:13 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Rochelle Burnaford.