Masculinity And Violence Essay

According to the World Report on Violence and Health, “violence causes more than 1.6 million deaths worldwide every year” (World Health Organization). Violence in America decreased immensely in the 1990’s; however, in recent years it has sprung back up. When violence is portrayed or performed, people tend to gravitate into one of two distinct categories which are the supporters and the opponents. The supporters gain entertainment from viewing violence and are typically desensitized to the point where they believe what they are viewing is “enjoyable” or “funny” without actually processing what is happening. The opponents have the polar opposite mindset, and they are in dismay when they see violent acts. For the most part, violence is a men’s issue. According to Jackson Katz, “86% of armed robberies, 77% of aggravated assaults, 99% of rape cases, 90% of murders, and 61 out of 62 mass shootings are committed …show more content…
These statistics portray a negative light on the relationship between violence in society and dominant forms of masculinity and show that men are more prone to violence in order to exhibit their status in society. By acting in violent ways, men display their power and prove that they are not weak, soft, or gay.
Violent masculinity is a case of conformity because men are trying to live up to society’s cultural ideals of manhood. At an early age, boys are explicitly and implicitly commanded to act tough. They are not able to emit crucial feelings such as sorrow, they are unable to show emotions, they are told to not back down, and are instructed to put up a “tough guy” front. Basic qualities such as empathy, fear, and love are driven out by society which says anger is the go to method to establish masculine credibility. In the film Tough Guise 2, it is depicted that men must conform to