Masculinity in sexual violence and mental health: a mixed methods study among inmates and parolees

Abstract

Sexual violence among inmates in male correctional facilities is rife and has serious psychological health implications for offenders. This study examined the role of masculinity in sexual violence victimisation and perpetration and consequent mental health among male inmates and parolees in Tshwane, Gauteng province, South Africa. First, it examined whether during-incarceration hypermasculinity (hypermasculinity I) predicts sexual violence victimisation and sexual violence perpetration. Second, it examined whether post-incarceration hypermasculinity (hypermasculinity II) moderates the association between (a) sexual violence victimisation and mental health (internalising depression, externalising depression, alcohol use, drug use, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder), and (b) sexual violence perpetration and mental health (shame and guilt). Finally, it explored how masculinity contributes to the occurrence of and meaning-making about sexual violence in correctional facilities among male inmates and parolees. A parallel mixed method design was adopted. Convenience and purposive sampling for the qualitative and quantitative strands were used, respectively. Qualitative data was collected through in-depth interviews among eight parolees and analysed thematically. Quantitative data were collected via a longitudinal survey among a cohort of 160 offenders. Descriptive analyses, multiple regression, and PROCESS in SPSS were used to present demographic characteristics, examine associations, and examine moderation among the variables, respectively. Quantitative findings showed that hypermasculinity I was a significant predictor of sexual violence perpetration but not of sexual violence victimisation. Hypermasculinity II was a significant moderator between sexual violence victimisation and internalising depression but not the other mental health outcomes. Hypermasculinity was a significant moderator between sexual violence perpetration and guilt but not shame. Four main themes were drawn from the in-depth interviews: “You must fend for your masculinity” highlighted inmates’ reliance on aggression for self-preservation during incarceration; “the correctional system is compromised” emphasised the lack of inmates’ protection due to corrupt officials and gangs; “masculinity needs financial capital” emphasised the salience of material possessions in men’s definitions of masculinities; and “crime appeals to troubled boyhood” outlined men’s challenging lives as boys that propelled them into crime. Interventions and policy recommendations are offered in response to the findings. Some associations were significant; however, some were counter-intuitive while some were not significant, suggesting a need for further studies.