Sexual Assault and Hypermasculinity

Sexual behaviour is often socialised in males. The idea that men and boys are taught aggression is what prompts this view. They are taught to dominate women from a young age and that women are to be dominated. Although it is often subliminal, they are taught that they should be sexually active with as many women as possible and may turn to forcible means to accomplish this. Another idea is that sexually aggressive women may intimidate and "overpower" men causing them to question their manliness and make them feel like they need to prove their dominance. There is a need to be dominant for males, and when that is questioned or jeopardised they may react in a threatening way towards females, which can result in sexual assault. I believe that some men who commit sexual assault are what is known as "hypermasculine". They are those who feel they need to devalue and belittle females in order to bring their own ego up. These types of men are more likely to be sexually aggressive and forceful. Their mindset is that where sexual violence is "manly" and they are supposed to be violent towards women. They are insecure and any insults towards their manliness is taken too seriously and can cause them be easily angered. They brag about sexual conquest and base their manhood on how many times they score. I believe that hypermasculinity is learned from watching other males demonstrate it. Men who are hypermasculine may possibly have a hypermasculine father or father figure. They also may learn it from friends and media. Pornography is a huge way that boys learn to be violent and aggressive towards females. Porn makes it seem normal and right for men to push women around and be sexually violent and forceful with them. Boys who watch porn learn this violent sexual behavior and tend to later act on it in their sexual interactions.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crime/2012/10/09/20268856.html In this crime story the offender is a 47 year old man arrested for forcible consignment and sexual assault. It is difficult to define the motivation for this individual. There are a few different causes that may have been his motivation. The first one is Male Socialistation; he may have been taught by role models in his life as a child to be sexually aggressive. In this particular case it is a 16 year old boy that was assaulted not a girl. He may have been raped as a child, or sexually assaulted by an older man, and then learned that sexual behaviour and acted on it towards another young boy. This man may have been what is called "hypermasculine." Although it wasn't a female he assaulted, he still may have felt sexually inadequate and used this young boy to prove his manhood. These are just a few of the possible reasons why this man was motivated to assault this young man.