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Introduction

Toxic masculinity is defined as a set of masculine behaviors that can have a negative impact on men and society as a whole. 
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Boys will be boys - a phrase we&#39;ve all heard countless times. It&#39;s the excuse a mother gives when the first-grade teacher complains of her son pulling a girl&#39;s hair. Or what you hear when high school boys fight it out during recess. Over the years, people have used the phrase multiple times to declare certain behaviors expected of boys and men. Not only has it hindered holding men accountable for acts of aggression, sexual assault, and other crimes, but it&#39;s also promoted flawed gender stereotypes, for men and women both.&nbsp; 
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It can be said that gender stereotypes have existed since forever. The early male homo sapiens were hunters and gatherers who used their physical strength to provide for their families. They relied on these traits of aggression and ruthlessness to exert their power and dominance over other men. As humans evolved, these behaviors persisted. From hunters to rulers, men then began to demonstrate their strength by waging wars, plundering cities, and leaving a trail of destruction on their way to the top.&nbsp; 
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Although society has modernized and evolved, these patterns of male behavior continue to be unfortunately celebrated. Behaviors such as acting aggressive, refusing to take part in chores around the house, and avoiding emotions are often labelled as &#39;manly&#39;. Anyone who&#39;s not living up to these rules is not considered masculine enough.&nbsp; 
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However, the way society views masculinity has greatly changed over the years, i.e., we are now aware of the &#39;toxic&#39; nature of such &#39;masculine&#39; traits and how damaging they can be for men&#39;s mental health.

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In 2019, men&#39;s shaving brand Gillette released a commercial highlighting the harmful effects of normalizing toxic masculine traits of bullying and sexual harassment. The video urged men to take accountability for their actions and call out fellow men acting inappropriately towards other men and women. Although the ad itself received a lot of criticism, it also started a conversation around toxic masculinity. But can men really be blamed for such toxic traits? Or are we as a society to blame for normalizing such behaviors? 
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Toxic masculinity is defined as a set of masculine behaviors that can have a negative impact on men and society as a whole. As per a study in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, these regressive traits promote &#39;devaluation of women, homophobia, and wanton violence<a href="#accordion">&#39;[1]</a>. Moreover, such behaviors are also associated with lower willingness to intervene among adolescents, especially when witnessing sexual harassment and homophobic bullying<a href="#accordion">[2]</a>.&nbsp; 
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Understanding The Dangers Of Toxic Masculinity

Traits of toxic masculinity emphasize the importance of physical strength, self-reliance, aggression, lack of emotion, sexual virility, and dominance in men. Living up to these exaggerated masculine traits can place additional stress on men and lead them to engage in harmful behaviors. 
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Research has shown that college men pressured to conform to masculine norms of self-reliance, sexual promiscuity, and violence have higher rates of depression<a href="#accordion">[3]</a>.&nbsp;Moreover, when men are taught dominance and risk-taking as norms of masculinity, they tend to engage in high-risk behaviors such as drug abuse, drinking, not wearing a seatbelt, and gambling<a href="#accordion">[4].</a>&nbsp; 
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Heterosexual ideals are often propagated among men, as part of traditional masculinity. Anything deflecting from it is viewed as feminine and socially unacceptable. Moreover, feminine ideals are thought to be equivalent to homosexuality. As a result, gay men often face internalized homophobia, and men who identify as straight but do not conform to these heterosexual ideals are often a target of homophobic bullying.&nbsp; 
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As a result, the American Psychological Association (APA) has introduced new guidelines to tackle these problems in boys and men<a href="#accordion">[5]</a>. These guidelines warn therapists of the psychological impact of traditional masculinity and its link to misogyny, aggression, and negative health outcomes in the male population. 
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So how do we address toxic masculinity?

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While our genetics govern a lot of our personality, the environment around us also influences behaviors. What you see around you as a child, you tend to conform to that as an adult. For example, a boy who&#39;s seen his father work every day of the week with no breaks believes that is the norm; as a man, one must never stop and rest. Or if your father refuses to ask for directions even when he&#39;s clearly lost, you are more likely to adopt that specific quality and assume asking for help is not a very manly thing. 
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Therefore, a good way to address toxic masculinity is to revisit the models of behaviors set in the past and redefine man&#39;s role in society. 
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A father&#39;s role in a family is often limited to being the financial provider. However, over the years, this role has evolved to fathers becoming more involved in the lives of their children. A UK cohort study found that early father involvement in the form of creative play and quality time lowers the risk of subsequent behavior problems in both boys and girls<a href="#accordion">[6]</a>. According to research, altering the social role of fathers to a more nurturing and involved role can help change harmful gender stereotypes<a href="#accordion">[7]</a>.&nbsp; 
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This involvement can begin as early as at the time of birth. Skin-to-skin contact between the father and the neonate not only benefits the child&#39;s physiological health but also helps men ease into fatherhood<a href="#accordion">[8].</a>

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&#39;Men don&#39;t cry&#39;, &#39;man up&#39;, and &#39;don&#39;t be such a girl&#39; are just some of the things men grow up hearing. These phrases teach men to suppress all emotions of sadness, fear, or pain. Thus, they grow up hiding all these feelings within themselves. This inability to express emotions or share their feelings with others leads to feelings of loneliness. As per an APA study, these gender norms act as barriers to men seeking psychological help when facing mental health issues<a href="#accordion">[9]</a>. Moreover, male victims of domestic or sexual abuse may find it even more challenging to get help. 
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Similarly, toxic masculinity promotes the idea of being self-reliant. Therefore, men will avoid going to a physician for any type of health care<a href="#accordion">[4].</a> Thus, identifying and addressing these behaviors can be beneficial to both your <a href="https://www.merisehat.pk/article/Mental%20Health">mental</a> and physical health.&nbsp;

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Conclusion

Toxic masculinity is not a problem that can be solved overnight. These traits and behaviors are ingrained in society as a whole. Therefore, a redefinition of masculinity is needed. However, everyone&rsquo;s version of masculinity or femininity is different. And one can only arrive at this definition after holding conversations with friends and family about the problematic patterns of the past. 
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As the newer generations move forward, it is important to keep toxic masculinity in the past. Raising awareness among the masses and educating them on the toxic nature of certain society-defined masculine traits is a great way to achieve this. Moreover, more positive male role models can greatly impact how one views masculinity. 
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However, many people believe that dismantling toxic masculinity is just another way to emasculate men or make them more feminine. In reality, the whole concept actually centers around breaking down the boxes society has placed around genders.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
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The bottom line is you can be masculine without being toxic. Remember, you define your own identity.&nbsp;

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Key Points

<ul>
	<li>Toxic masculinity refers to a set of behaviors that are harmful to men and society as a whole. Traits such as physical strength, aggression, self-reliance, emotional unavailability, and dominance are often promoted as part of toxic masculinity.</li>
	<li>Toxic masculinity can lead to depression, high-risk behaviors, feeling of loneliness, relationship issues, and mental health problems among men. Moreover, toxic guys are more likely to act out of aggression and engage in acts of bullying and sexual harassment.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>A father&#39;s role in the life of a child can play an important part in changing harmful gender stereotypes. A more nurturing and involved role is beneficial to both the father and child.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Identifying toxic masculine traits and seeking help are significant steps in eliminating toxic masculinity.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

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[1] Kupers, T. A., 2005. Toxic masculinity as a barrier to mental health treatment in prison. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 61(6), pp. 713-724.

[2] Ingram, K. M. et al., 2019. Longitudinal associations between features of toxic masculinity and bystander willingness to intervene in bullying among middle school boys. Journal of School Psychology, Volume 77, pp. 139-151.

[3] Iwamoto, D. K., Brady, J. & Park, A., 2018. Masculinity and Depression: A Longitudinal Investigation of Multidimensional Masculine Norms Among College Men. American Journal of Men's Health, 12(6), pp. 1873-1881.

[4] Mahalik, J. R., Burns, S. M. & Syzdek, M., 2007. Masculinity and perceived normative health behaviors as predictors of men's health behaviors. Social Science & Medicine, 64(11), pp. 2201-2209.

[5]  American Psychological Association, 2018. APA GUIDELINES for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men.

[6] Kroll, M. E., Carson, C., Redshaw, M. & Quigley, M. A., 2016. Early Father Involvement and Subsequent Child Behaviour at Ages 3, 5 and 7 Years: Prospective Analysis of the UK Millennium Cohort Study. PLOS One, 11(9).

[7]  Park, B. and Banchefsky, S. (2018) ‘Leveraging the Social Role of Dad to Change Gender Stereotypes of Men’, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 44(9), pp. 1380–1394. doi: 10.1177/0146167218768794.

[8] Chen, Er-Mei et al. “Effects of Father-Neonate Skin-to-Skin Contact on Attachment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Nursing research and practice vol. 2017 (2017): 8612024. doi:10.1155/2017/8612024

[9] Yousaf, O., Popat, A., & Hunter, M. S. (2015). An investigation of masculinity attitudes, gender, and attitudes toward psychological help-seeking. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 16(2), 234–237

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