By Michael Kim

The notion that all men need to be strong, emotionless, and thick skinned in order to fit into society are lessons that young boys are taught, through their parents or their surrounding environment, from a young age. Kevin Roy, a professor of family science at the University of Maryland, believes those lessons are the root of not only current social issues, but also an ongoing health concern.  

In light of recent events, social movements and advertisement campaigns surrounding the message of toxic masculinity, the Baha’i Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland held a lecture and discussion on Nov. 12, highlighting the effects that toxic masculinity has on society as a whole.  

The image of what a man “should” be is something that is deeply ingrained in our culture and has been for years, according to Roy. It is the instalment of “masculine” ideals into the minds of young men that, Roy believes, leads to behavior that not only endangers women and children, but also the men themselves. 

The idea that men need to be emotionless and bottle up their feelings is a main contributor to the degradation of mental health among men, argues Roy. This suppression of feelings and expression, Roy claims, leads to a large number of mental illnesses in males remaining undiagnosed and untreated. 

“We all know how hard it is to make men go to the doctor’s office,” said Roy, “Men [think they] don’t need anyone to try and tell them how to be healthy.” 

According to data presented in the lecture, women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with mental illnesses than men while men are twice as likely to be diagnosed with a substance abuse problem. Roy believes that this statistic is evidence of men’s tendencies to hide their emotions. Instead of reaching out for help, Roy believes that stigmas around sharing feelings and appearing weak push men towards other methods of coping, including substance abuse.

This suppression of expressing vulnerable emotions, Roy believes, not only leads to mental health issues for the men themselves, but also potential physical danger for those around them. 

“When men’s masculinity is challenged, they overcompensate by using things in their toolbox that they have been told are masculine, such as anger and violence,” said Roy.

This overcompensation caused by challenging men’s masculinity is something that Roy believes has caused some of the most horrific incidents in recent history. From tragedies such as the Orlando Night Club and Parkland shootings, to the United the Right Rally in Charlottesville and the death of Jordan McNair, Roy argues these events were caused by that same overcompensation.  

“Clearly there is a sense of crisis,” said Roy.

Getahun Seyoum, a senior public health major, believes that toxic masculinity is a systemic problem that many individuals, including himself, has faced.

“I was raised with a lot of traditional values, like emotional repression, and not being open to speaking about your problems. It was very tough for me,” said Seyoum, “There is definitely this ego that is definitely cultivated from that upbringing and I think that it is really concerning. I think it’s the same narrative for a lot of individuals,” said Seyoum.

Some students, including Sophie Zic, a sophomore bioengineering major, believes that the university could do more in addressing mental health issues in male students.

“I feel like there’s a lot of outreach for women, but I feel like there needs to be that same [amount] for men, because they don’t have to open up and they’re very closed off usually,” said Zic.

Director of the Baha’i Chair for World Peace, Hoda Mahmoudi, believes that tearing down gender norms is an important especially on college campuses. Once we start to identify the problem and can help individuals, Mahmoudi believes real and substantial change can take place throughout the world.

“I don’t have data and details, but it is unlikely that there’s any campus where toxic masculinity does not exist,” said Mahmoudi, “Peace begins with the individual. If there is no inner peace, it is really difficult to transform the institutions in our society.”