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In “Violence against Women” by Renzetti and Bergen, they explain how men use their strength and aggressiveness to harass women and other men. They did a study on 53 college males and found out that, 51 percent indicated a likelihood that they themselves, would rape a girl if assured of not being punished. They write, “To prove one’s self as being capable of performing under these circumstances was a substantial challenge and also a source of reward. One gang rapist articulated this feeling very clearly: we felt powerful, we were in control. I wanted sex and there was peer pressure. She wasn’t like a person, no personality, just domination on my part. Just to show I could do it- you know, macho” (pg. 45). This explains why men rape women. Men see themselves to be stronger, more powerful and aggressive than women and therefore, they can always overpower women and have their way around them. Some men claim that men are prone to violence because they produce testosterone- a steroid hormone that stimulates development of male secondary sexual characteristics. So I decided to look into this to find out if indeed men’s aggressiveness is tied to
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It is commonly assumed that testosterone is tied to violence but scientific research shows that hormones do not necessarily make men violent, but they do cause them to seek social dominance. In the Scientific American Journal, I found an article titled “Strange but True: Testosterone Alone Does Not Cause Violence” by Christopher Mims. Christopher writes that weight lifters who overdose on anabolic steroids experience “roid rage”, and castration- removal of the source of testosterone. Christopher asks that, “if you give a normal man a shot of testosterone, will he turn into the Incredible Hulk? And do violent men have higher levels of testosterone than their more docile peers?” (par. 8). He answered his questions based on other researchers. Historically, researchers expected an increase in testosterone levels to inevitably lead to more aggression, and this did not reliably occur. Christopher argues that, “Indeed, the latest research about testosterone and aggression indicates that there is only a weak connection between the two. And when aggression is more narrowly defined as simple physical violence, the connection all but disappears” (par. 12). This confirms my thought that testosterone cannot be blamed for men’s violence. Men’s toughness is displayed in every aspect of their
It is commonly assumed that testosterone is tied to violence but scientific research shows that hormones do not necessarily make men violent, but they do cause them to seek social dominance. In the Scientific American Journal, I found an article titled “Strange but True: Testosterone Alone Does Not Cause Violence” by Christopher Mims. Christopher writes that weight lifters who overdose on anabolic steroids experience “roid rage”, and castration- removal of the source of testosterone. Christopher asks that, “if you give a normal man a shot of testosterone, will he turn into the Incredible Hulk? And do violent men have higher levels of testosterone than their more docile peers?” (par. 8). He answered his questions based on other researchers. Historically, researchers expected an increase in testosterone levels to inevitably lead to more aggression, and this did not reliably occur. Christopher argues that, “Indeed, the latest research about testosterone and aggression indicates that there is only a weak connection between the two. And when aggression is more narrowly defined as simple physical violence, the connection all but disappears” (par. 12). This confirms my thought that testosterone cannot be blamed for men’s violence. Men’s toughness is displayed in every aspect of their