Masculine Identity: How It Affects Street Racing and Aggressive Behaviour in Young Motorcyclists

Abstract

Youth illegal racers who adhere to socially defined masculinity ideals often engaged in illegal racing and aggressive behaviours solely to demonstrate the assertiveness of masculinity. This mixed-method study was carried out to investigate the extent of masculine identity among young motorcyclists and how it affects street racing and aggressive behaviour. Phase 1 of this study was conducted in December 2020 involving a group of young illegal racers in Penang, Malaysia and the masculine identity levels were measured using the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory-22 (CMNI-22) survey. The association between masculine identity, illegal racing status (Model 1) and aggressive behaviours (Model 2) was determined using Multiple Logistic Regression. Phase 2 of the study explored the meaning of self-perceived masculine identity among 400 young motorcyclists. Participants that had high masculine levels were found to be four times more likely to a racer (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 3.57, 6.12; P = 0.001) and five times more likely to commit aggressive behaviours (95% CI 3.57, 6.12; P = < 0.001) compared those with low masculine identities. This study revealed that illegal racers perceived masculine identity as having a macho appearance, exhibiting playboy behaviours, and driving recklessly. This study demonstrated the need for a special awareness program that helps youths to explore their masculinity and channel it in the right way.