TOXIC MASCULINITY AS SELF-DIRECTED AGGRESSION IN MEN

Abstract

This study investigated the phenomenon of toxic masculinity, aiming to understand its psychological and social impacts on people’s lives, particularly on men themselves. Understood as a set of repressive norms that shape masculine ways of being, thinking, and acting from childhood onward, toxic masculinity contributes to men’s self-directed aggression and harms their interpersonal relationships. Through a theoretical framework combined with field research, this exploratory-descriptive study, based on a quali-quantitative approach, is composed of theoretical findings on the harms of the hegemonic patriarchal model and examines discursive and behavioral patterns of 100 men through a digital questionnaire. The results indicated diverse perceptions among participants regarding the topic and their personal experiences, as well as showing that all of them are influenced by gender narratives to some degree, even if more or less aware of the issue. It is attested that toxic masculinity not only upholds structures of violence but also compromises men’s mental health, reinforcing the need for more authentic and healthier ways of experiencing masculinity.