The world is filled with attitudes, beliefs and messages that say men should be tough, aggressive and dominant. These messages come from the people around us, the broader community, and what we see in the media and on social media.
These are harmful ideas that can drive violence against women, and all forms of gendered violence. They also hurt men’s mental health and overall wellbeing.
The Man Box research
The Man Box 2024 is a comprehensive study of attitudes to manhood and the behaviours of Australian men aged 18 to 45. The study was led by The Men’s Project at Jesuit Social Services in partnership with Respect Victoria.
The study measures men’s agreement with and experience of 19 Man Box ‘rules’ – some of the harmful stereotypes about men. The Man Box ‘rules’ fit into six categories:
- acting tough: "A guy who doesn’t fight back when others push him around is weak."
- not expressing vulnerability: "Guys should act strong even if they feel scared or nervous inside."
- rigid gender roles: 'A man shouldn’t have to do to household chores," or "Men should really be the ones to bring money home to provide for their families, not women."
- hypersexuality: "A ‘real man’ would never say no to sex."
- aggression and control: "If a guy has a girlfriend or a wife, he deserves to know where she is all the time," or "Men should use violence to get respect if necessary."
- homophobia and transphobia: "A gay or transgender man is not a ‘real man’."
On average, almost 40% of men aged 18 to 45 felt pressure to follow each rule, even though a lower percentage (one in four) said they personally agreed with them.
The survey showed that the more men agreed with the rules, the more likely were to report that they had:
- frequently used verbal sexual harassment against a woman or girl in a public place
- used sexual violence against an intimate partner
- used physical violence against an intimate partner.
The fact that men feel pressure to follow the rules, even when they didn’t personally agree with them, shows how these beliefs shape the culture of our society. The fear of being judged, rejected or excluded by others for not 'following the rules' reinforces the idea of masculinity being about dominance, aggression and control.
Engaging men in positive masculinities and the prevention of violence against women
Willing, capable and confident: men, masculinities and the prevention of violence against women is the second report published from The Man Box 2024. It looks at the areas of men’s lives where they are already questioning or disconnected from harmful ideas of manhood and presents opportunities to support more men to reject the harmful expressions of masculinity linked to violence.
The report details a number of ways that can support men to redefine what masculinity means to them and get engaged in prevention of violence against women.