Boys who cling to stereotypically manly' traits are more likely to hurt others but they are in the minority, study finds

"It found that those boys who most strongly endorsed ideas about the need to be what they understand as manly to be stoic, to avoid seeming gay or feminine were more likely to have bullied or violently or sexually assaulted someone; to watch violent and non-consensual pornography; and to retaliate when rejected. But the study, Adolescent Man Box (Ambox), found that most did not overwhelmingly endorse those strict ideas of manliness and that they look to real-life role models more than to those online."

"There are a lot of reasons for hope, Matt Tyler, the executive director of The Men's Project, said. I'll start with girls. Girls reject these ideas. If you're a heterosexual adolescent boy, that's a pretty compelling pitch. Girls are telling you they don't want the alpha male they want you to rock up as your authentic self and connect at a deeper level."

Adolescent boys who cling to stereotypical masculine traits are far more likely to hurt others and be hurt themselves. A survey of 1,401 adolescents aged 14 to 18 measured endorsement of masculine beliefs. Strong endorsement of being stoic, avoiding appearing gay or feminine, and proving toughness correlates with higher rates of bullying, violent and sexual assault, viewing violent/non-consensual pornography, and retaliation after rejection. Most adolescents did not overwhelmingly endorse strict manliness and they look to real-life role models more than online influencers. Girls generally reject these restrictive masculine ideals and parents and friends exert strong influence.

Read at www.theguardian.com