Boys to Men: Masculinity, Victimization, and Offending

Male victims are an underrepresented group within society as research within victimology primarily focuses on female victims and services available typically cater to female populations. This study focuses on male victims and draws attention to the role that victimization may play in criminal offending. Prior research has found that male victims may feel a diminished sense of their own masculinity. While other studies have noted that masculinity plays a role in some men’s decisions to engage in criminal behavior (Messerschmidt, 1993, 2016). It seems logical that these two concepts (masculinity and victimization) would be related. Utilizing self-reported data from 135 college males, the current study analyzes the relationship between childhood victimization, masculinity beliefs, and the decision to engage in criminal/delinquent behavior. Bivariate and multivariate analyses will be utilized to measure the correlation and relationships between the independent and dependent variables. Future research directions and implications are given following the presentation of the findings