Themes of Toxic Masculinity in Mass Shooter Manifestos: A Content Analysis

This study uses content analysis methodology to examine themes of toxic masculinity in a sample of manifestos written by individuals who have committed mass shootings in the United States. Two research questions will be examined: 1. Do manifestos of mass shooters contain elements of toxic masculinity? And 2. What do these perpetrators perceive to be influences of their crimes? Manifestos gathered from online databases will be coded and analyzed. Implications for research, practice, and limitations to the project will be discussed.