Offending and Masculinity: Working with Males
| Date | 01 September 1990 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455059003700302 |
| Published date | 01 September 1990 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Offending and
Masculinity:
Working with
Males
Following the profound impact of a Northern Region Staff
Development Course on ’work with men who behave
violently towards women and children’, the participants
summarise their experience of the social construction of
masculinity in individual behaviour, working practices
and organisational structure. Though using examples of
high profile violent and sex offenders, their aim is to
consider the relationship between male gender role
expectation and all male offending.
’
;
ffending is a predominantly male activity. Men
are eight times mote likely to be convicted
of indict~.ble offences than women. The
majority of juveniles cautioned are
male, and an even greater majority
of violent offenders are ~na~e.
Sex offenders are almost exclu-
sively male.
’Maleness’, however, is per-
ceived as the norm, and as
such it is taken for granted.
This is peculiar when men
obviously have much greater
difficulty in behaving in
socially acceptable ways than
do women. So why is it that
probation officers have failed
to take account of male gender
role expectations in their work
with male offenders?
106
Masculinity and Power
The primary links between this
analysis and offending behaviour are
What is masculinity? What are the roles
threefold:
that men
are expected to play? It is not
easy to analyse objectively that which
1. Young men and boys feel they have
all of us, regardless of gender, have
to prove their masculinity with their
been socialised into regarding as nor-
peers. Because being a male involves
mal. A
considerable body of academic
developing a tough front, boys develop
work does exist, however, and a useful
an investment in fooling themselves
characterisation of maleness has been
and their friends into believing they are
encapsulated by Brannan and I~avid.’
I
brave and hard and manly. Thus of-
Men, they argue, in this society are ex-
fences of ’daring’ result -
car theft,
pected to live up to four expectations.
criminal damage, burglary, group
violence. Offending is one rite of
The Sturdy Oak: men must stand alone,
passage into male adulthood.
and should not lean on anyone for
help. They must offer protection to
2. The masculine ideal offers the
others, notably women and children
perfect vehicle for an oppositional
position to the conformist adult ideal
No Sissy Stuff men should not cry,
of steady work, family responsibility,
should play with motorbikes rather
etc.
This oppositional culture is
than with children and must avoid
demonstrated in heavy drinking, group
anything feminine.
violence, violence towards minority
groups, homophobic and misogynistic
The Big Wheel: men must be successful
banter.
at work, in the public domain and
master at home.
3. If men feel the need to compete suc-
cessfully for power in the public do-
Give ’em Hell,- men
must be aggressive,
main, but cannot do so, or fear they are
must stand up to male banter and not
underachieving, some choose to exer-
be put upon. Men must compete.
cise dominance where they can - over
women and children. Domestic
The male dilemma is that they know
violence and many sex offenders relate
they cannot live up to these standards,
to such attitudes.
but still attempt to attain them They
all fail. They are involved in a futile and
All men are guilty to some extent of
damaging masquerade
oppressing or patronising women.
Easthope2 suggests that male ego
development within this culture is
Any focus on masculinity and the
...
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