Emotional Roots of Hatred of Women

• According to Dr. Stephen Diamond, clinical and forensic psychologist and the author of "Anger, Madness, and the Daimonic: The Psychological Genesis of Violence, Evil, and Creativity," frustration and loneliness can beget rage and violence. Because a man is born alone, walks through life as an individual and dies alone, he often endeavors to relieve his sense of loneliness by reaching out to others. When men can't get their need for companionship, comfort, love and sex met by others, the resulting frustration can turn to bitterness, resentment and, ultimately, hate and revulsion. When a man's attempts are met with rejection or abandonment, whether intentional or not, he may end up feeling powerless and projecting his anger at women in general.
  
  

Cultural Roots of Hatred of Women

• Some cultures consider women to be of less value than men and some even believe women to be evil. In some tribes, men believe their wives' bodies are poisonous and can contaminate them as they sleep. In other cultures, women are thought to be a particular type of destructive evil created by the Devil himself. Other societies simply view women as lower-class citizens, useful for little more than sexual pleasure and servitude. These attitudes are perpetuated from generation to generation, resulting in a pervasive hatred and disdain for all females.
  
  Some religions and folklore may be responsible for a man hating women. Many religious texts attribute the ills of man to a woman or women in general. Fairy tales often tell of female witches or evil stepmothers but rarely include sins committed by warlocks or evil stepfathers.
  
  

Abuse

• Men who have been abused -- sexually, physically or emotionally -- may also develop an aversion toward women that can turn to hate. Incest or sexual abuse in childhood by a woman can traumatize a boy and confuse his sexual identity. He may loathe women and seek to humiliate them or turn to other men for comfort and love. In his book, "Perversion: The Erotic Form of Hatred," Dr. Robert J. Stoller posits that childhood trauma can result in unusual sexual preferences, such as sadism.
  
  

Other Causes of Hatred of Women

• Because the human psyche is intricate and unique, myriad causes could combine to produce a hatred of women. A man could experience humiliation from a female authority figure or shame from female schoolmates, or feel threatened by women whom he feels seek to overtake what he perceives as his role in society.