GAMBARAN TOXIC MASCULINITY PADA MAHASISWA LAKI-LAKI

Abstract

Toxic masculinity is a rigid form of masculinity that can be harmful to both men and their environment. Toxic masculinity manifests as the expectation to always be strong, dominant, and never show weakness. This study aims to examine the characteristics of toxic masculinity among male college students. This study employed a descriptive quantitative approach, and the participants consisted of 280 active male college students from various universities in Indonesia, selected using non-probability sampling techniques. Data collection was conducted online using the Toxic Masculinity Scale-28 (TMS-28), which consists of four dimensions. The results indicate that toxic masculinity among male college students generally falls into the moderate category. Based on the dimensions, emotional restraint had the highest mean score, followed by masculine superiority. These findings suggest that the strongest aspect of toxic masculinity among male college students is related to the tendency to restrict or suppress certain emotional expressions. The results of this study are expected to serve as a foundation for the development of psychoeducational programs on healthy masculinity and emotional openness among male college students.