A landmark new report released by The Men’s Project at Jesuit Social Services today finds that many young people across Australia identify significant pressure on boys to adhere to rigid, restrictive ideas about masculinity. While most young people reject these pressures, a small but significant number of boys personally endorse these beliefs and are themselves more likely to get into fights, sexually harass others and engage in risk-taking behaviours such as alcohol use and gambling.
The Adolescent Man Box report, based on an Australian-first survey of 1,400 adolescents of all genders aged 14 to 18, finds that young Australian people overwhelmingly believe there is pressure on boys to appear strong, confident and tough at all times. The study then maps agreement with these and other statements that comprise the ‘Adolescent Man Box rules’ against life outcomes – including aggressive behaviour, mental health, bullying, pornography and image-based abuse, and risk-taking behaviours.
Executive Director of The Men’s Project at Jesuit Social Services, Matt Tyler, says there is positive news in that many of the young people surveyed personally reject the restrictive, Adolescent Man Box rules, but it is clear that a significant minority personally endorse these rigid ideas and this is associated with negative outcomes in terms of their wellbeing and their behaviour.
“Young people reported many positive trends to us, such as that almost all [96 per cent] of boys and girls surveyed believe it’s important for teenage boys to treat girls as equals,” says Mr Tyler.
“However, there is a particularly concerning picture for the boys who most strongly endorse the Adolescent Man Box rules: ideas like boys should be strong, confident and tough at all times; not show fear or emotion; make fun of others and not do things that are considered ‘girly’. Of these boys, two in five told us that they had used bullying, physical violence or sexual harassment in the past month. These same boys are also more likely to drink, gamble, get into physical fights, view pornography with violent and non-consensual acts, and experience poor mental health. They’re also more likely to be victims of violence themselves.”
Among the boys who most strongly support the Adolescent Man Box rules:
- Almost half agree or strongly agree that no one really knows them well (46 per cent compared to 23 per cent of boys who least support the rules)
- More than one quarter had experienced being physically hurt on purpose in the past month (27 per cent compared to 12 per cent of boys who least support the rules)
- More than one quarter believe that if a man is violent to his partner, it is probably because they deserve it or did something to provoke it (27 per cent compared to two per cent of boys who least support the rules)
- More than 80 per cent of boys who have watched pornography have seen any harmful act happening to a female (82 per cent compared to 43 per cent of boys who least support the rules) and a similar number have seen something happening to someone without consent (72 per cent compared to 19 per cent of boys who least support the rules)
- Around one third say they’d retaliate when rejected (35 per cent compared to 11 per cent of boys who least support the rules)
- And more than a quarter say their friends would use AI to create fake nude images of people they know [27 per cent compared to four per cent of boys who least support the rules].
Almost half (47 per cent) of boys with the strongest endorsement of the Adolescent Man Box rules said their online social life is more rewarding than their offline interactions, and 85 per cent had experienced poor mental health symptoms in the past two weeks with many not seeking help.
Mr Tyler says while the stats are alarming, there is also reason for hope.
“Almost all boys told us they are disturbed by the harassment of women and girls. Across all respondents, 84 per cent indicated they feel mostly positive about their futures and many said they could be vulnerable with a family member or a friend. More adolescents reflected that parents had a bigger impact on their own ideas about how teenage boys should act than the media or other online influencers,” he says.
“Mindful of these bright spots and the opportunity to continue making progress, our report contains a range of recommendations with calls to action for government, service providers, schools, parents and digital technology companies such as social media and pornography sites.
“This includes calling on Federal, State and Territory governments to commit to targeted initiatives focused on addressing the contemporary issues raised in this research impacting adolescents in Australia, drawing on the Adolescent Man Box to inform place-based youth violence prevention efforts, and the establishment of a dedicated National Action Plan for children and young people who have been victims of violence or abuse including a transformational investment in targeted, trauma-informed interventions and support services focused on healing.”
“More broadly, we know that everybody including adolescents, parents, educators and the broader community can play a role in helping young people to break free of the harms of the Adolescent Man Box giving our young people the support they need to flourish.”
Download the Adolescent Man Box report at www.adolescentmanbox.org.au.
Media enquiries – Kathryn Kernohan, 0409 901 248 or kathryn.kernohan@jss.org.au
