TRANSCRIPT
"Pop tried to protect us with wrestling, he said if we were the strongest the biggest, the toughest, nothing would ever hurt us. I believed him."
That's wrestler, Kevin von Erich, as played by Zac Efron in the movie Iron Claw.
It's a Hollywood take on a real life family that dominated wrestling in the 1980's.
And it deals with long-held perceptions of what it means to be a man that modern society is still grappling with today in Australia and beyond.
"You feel that, huh, you feel that, that's pressure!"
Those perceptions are the subject of a new study, released by Jesuit Social Services this month, which examines men's attitudes towards masculinity.
The study asked men to respond to a set of 19 statements they call the "Man Box".
Michael Flood, a Queensland University of Technology researcher who contributed to the report, explains what the phrase means.
"The man box is a term for a set of traditional or stereotypical expectations about being a man, the expectation that boys and men should always be tough, aggressive, risk-taking stoic, heterosexual, emotionally inexpressive and dominant."
Researchers surveyed more than 3,500 men aged between 18 and 45 across Australia, using an online survey and focus groups.
They found that 36 per cent of men felt social pressure to follow the 'Man Box' rules on average.
Twenty-four per cent personally agreed with the rules, meaning around three in four men rejected them.
Similar surveys were conducted in 2018 and 2020.
Michael Flood says the report contains some good and some bad news.
"There's been sort of been some changes in perceived norms of self sufficiency that men should not ask for help men, should be stoic. There's been a change in perceived norms about knowing where your girlfriend is at all times. But there's not been much change in for example, a norm of male aggression or norm that you should use violence to get respect, if necessary."
The study shows 22 per cent of men aged 31 to 45, and 11 per cent of younger men agreed men should use violence to get respect if necessary.
Twenty-four per cent and 20 per cent respectively believed a man should have the final say in decisions in his marriage or relationship.
And 35 per cent of all men agreed there was a perception that a “real man” should have as many sexual partners as he can.
Michael Flood again.
" The final bit of bad news is that young men endorsement of that model of ruthless, sexist masculinity hasn't changed much in five years."
The study also found correlation between these beliefs and men's behaviour.
Those who most strongly agreed with 'Man Box' rules were eight times more likely to have perpetrated sexual violence against a partner, than those who least agreed with the statements, and five times more likely to have been physically violent.
They were also eight times more likely to have frequent thoughts of suicide and twice as likely to binge drink.
Chair of Respect Victoria Kate Fitz-Gibbon said the findings show a correlation between harmful stereotypes and the perpetration of violence.
"This report really reinforces that harmful societal ideas about what it means to be a man can drive violence against women, and that holding onto those outdated stereotypes about gender harms everyone. There's a really clear connection that tells us we absolutely have to tackle this."
Phillip Ripper is the chief executive at No to Violence, the peak body for organisations that work with men who resort to family violence.
He says the study brings this connection into "stark relief".
"Not all disrespect of women ends in family violence. But all family violence starts with disrespect for women. The study focuses the issue where it needs to be, and that's with men and men’s masculinity. We need to shift the burden."
The report makes recommendations in four areas, including policy change and community awareness , to develop violence prevention strategies that embed healthy ideas of masculinity.
In a statement to SBS News, Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth, said:
"Educating boys about healthy, respectful relationships with their peers and themselves and providing them with positive role models are important steps to ending cycles of violence."
She said the government was investing in a variety of different pilots and activities under the First Action Plan of the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children.
The Albanese government has also announced a $3.5 million trial over three years to help combat harmful gender stereotypes which target young men and boys online.
Sydney lawyer Nav Singh says his views on masculinity have changed over time, especially with the birth of his three daughters.
"Having grown up in the Indian culture, expressing emotions for males was probably not something that was not considered. Males would not show emotions."
While he acknowledges he still has work to do in that area, he says he now knows what it means to be a man.
"If you'd asked me this question was I was a high school student. Now I look at it and I go, probably being a man means having integrity, doing the right thing. Having responsibility for the consequences of your actions."
