Unboxing masculinity(ies). A contrast to Teen Dating Violence starting from the pedagogical questioning of hegemonic masculinities

Abstract

The English expression Teen Dating Violence (TDV) refers to an aggressive behaviour that develops among male and female teenagers during their first love affairs. Starting from some data and features of the phenomenon, this paper aims to provide a framework for the problem of gender-based violence paying specific attention to male adolescents, with the purpose of deconstructing the main toxic stereotypes concerning their relationships with peers. In this regard, the theoretical and operational methodology used is the so-called “Men box”, which allows to develop a critical and pedagogical evaluation and to identify effective educational strategies to cope with the hegemonic masculinities, through an experiential approach.