On Toxic Masculinity and Violence

Last week’s episode of CSI cyber was about a man who went to great lengths to set up a woman for murder because she rejected him at a bar.

During the encounter, she told him she had a boyfriend in hopes that he would leave her alone.

When he realized moments later that she was interested in someone else, he retaliated. He hacked her phone, drained her bank account, sent emails from her account to executives at her job which resulted in her getting fired, and framed her for murder; all because she wasn’t into him.

The whole episode was basically the guy having a temper tantrum because she did not respond to his immediate demand for her time, attention, and ultimately access to her body.

Toxic masculinity and the sense of entitlement that comes with it is often maintained through violence, or the threat of violence. Toxic masculinity was a key issue in the plot of the episode, but you don’t need to watch a tv show to know that it is also a key underlying issue in much of the violence, including gun violence that has been taking place around the country.

How many mass shootings have we had this year by white males angry because they were rejected from women; angry because their immediate demand for time, attention, and ultimately access to women’s bodies was denied?

Also check out:

It’s not about mental illness: the big lie that always follows mass shootings by white males

#MasculinitySoFragile Exposes Everything Wrong with Toxic Masculinity Standards

What the Oregon Shooter’s Manifesto Tells Us About The Dangers of Toxic Masculinity

#ToxicMasculinity:

Ubuntu,

From Aspiring Humanitarian, Relando Thompkins-Jones, MSW, LLMSW

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