Masculine gender role stress and violence: A literature review and future directions

• Synthesized findings about masculine gender role stress and violence
• MGRS is related to hypothetical and past aggression towards women and gay men.
• Males with high MGRS scores endorse anti-femininity views.
• Strong recommendation for anti-violence intervention among high-MGRS males

Masculine gender role stress (MGRS) has been linked to violence against women and gay men, although the current literature isolates these groups. Synthesizing literature about violence and MGRS, this review demonstrates how MGRS is used to control people perceived by the perpetrator as feminine. This critique may be useful to professionals implementing anti-violence interventions or working with males struggling with gender role stress. We included peer-reviewed articles (n = 20) that measured MGRS, were conducted in the U.S., and sampled males. MGRS was related to past aggression towards women and gay men. The literature about violence against women showed that high-MGRS males were more likely than low-MGRS males to endorse intimate partner violence when their masculinity was threatened, endorse anti-femininity norms, exhibit maladaptive attachment styles, and adhere to rigid gender norms. The literature examining violence towards gay men showed that high-MGRS males were more likely than low-MGRS males to endorse anti-femininity, anger, and past violence towards gay men. A limitation is not sampling diverse males; a strength is consistent measurement. It is concluded that significant effort needs to be done in developing interventions about MGRS and violence. Future studies should sample diverse males and develop anti-violence interventions directed towards high-MGRS males.