In their interviews, the men struggle with a cultural understanding that 'masculinity' is associated with strength and power, while 'victim' is associated with weakness and impotence. During the interviews the young men actualize several balancing acts in their presentation of themselves as men and victims delicately using specific word choices, manners of speaking, laughter, and more. The young men negotiate a victim identity; they portray themselves by careful positioning as both victims and strong, active young men. Through a balancing act in their identities (how they want to be known), the young men present themselves as manly at the same time as they present themselves as victims. Discursive balancing of identities may take many forms. In this case it revolves around defending one identity from the threat of another. When people become subjected to violence, they do not necessarily define themselves as crime victims. Studies have shown that interviewees talking about others' physical aggression toward them can still portray themselves as non-victims, downplaying their vulnerability or claiming responsibility. In this study, 10 young men's narratives of being assaulted or 'mugged' illustrate the identity work of applying or resisting a victim identity. References