The Adolescent Man Box

The Adolescent Man Box

The Adolescent Man Box survey was conducted with 1,401 young people aged between 14-18 years, of all genders, in March-April 2025. The study asked Australian teenagers about their beliefs in relation to how teenage boys should act, and about a range of attitudes, behaviours and experiences.

This report shines a light on the realities of what it means to be a teenage boy in Australia today. It highlights both promising signs and critical challenges that must be addressed if we are to support boys in leading fulfilling lives – free from violence and other harmful behaviours.  

Matt Tyler and Kate Fitz-Gibbon’s Address to the National Press Club of Australia

Aims

The Adolescent Man Box survey aimed to:

• understand what teenagers in Australia today think about masculinity – including their level of agreement with a set of tightly defined and rigid rules (which we refer to as the ‘Adolescent Man Box’) 
• understand a range of behaviours and life outcomes experienced by adolescents – including use of aggression, use of pornography, risk-taking behaviours, and mental health 
• examine for adolescent boys the links between their personal endorsement of the Adolescent Man Box and their behaviours and life outcomes 

Methodology

The Adolescent Man Box uses the Meanings of Adolescent Masculinity Scale (developed by Matthew Oransky and Celia Fisher in 2009), which is comprised of four pillars of masculinity:

• Constant effort to be manly: reflects the norm that boys must maintain a strong and confident persona in order to appear manly – ie, masculinity involving not backing down in challenges.
• Emotional restriction: reflects assumptions about masculinity involving the hiding of emotions and remaining emotionally invulnerable – ie, ‘real guys’ do not and should not talk about their own emotions, problems, fears, or worries; they should ‘hold it in’ or keep it to themselves.
• Heterosexism: represents traditions ideas around masculinity as being in opposition to behaviours traditionally considered feminine or ‘gay’ – ie, to be considered manly it is important to avoid behaviours and attitudes that are traditionally thought of as being gay or feminine by others.
• Social teasing: represents attitudes around the proposal that to be masculine boys must be able to tease their friends and stand up to such teasing when it is directed at them. Social teasing has an important role in helping guys to be able to fit in.

Key findings

Reasons for hope  

• There are encouraging signs that many boys are moving away from narrow and restrictive views of masculinity. This is especially true for the idea that boys must be emotionally stoic. A significant number of adolescents believe it’s okay for boys to talk openly about their problems and comfort one another.   
• Most boys believe in gender equality and reject sexist behaviours. The vast majority believe that girls should be treated as equals across all areas of life, and most express discomfort with witnessing sexist comments and harassment.  
• Despite the growing influence of online spaces, boys continue to rely on ‘real-life’ relationships – especially parents – for guidance on personal issues and their understanding of masculinity.    
• Most boys report feeling able to show vulnerability, whether with friends or family.   
• Despite the pressures they face, most boys remain optimistic about their future.  

Challenges we must confront     

• Many boys feel pressure to always appear tough and confident. Between 60% and 63% of boys and girls believe that most people in Australia expect teenage boys to be manly, confident, and strong at all times.
• Those who most strongly internalise these restrictive masculine norms are more likely to hold harmful attitudes, engage in abusive behaviours, and struggle with their own wellbeing.   
• A concerning proportion of boys expressed homophobic or transphobic views with 48% of boys agreeing that being thought of as gay makes a teenage boy seem like less of a man.
• A small but troubling number of boys report endorsing violence-supportive attitudes, retaliating when rejected, or having recently engaged in harmful behaviours – including physical violence, sexual harassment, bullying, and engagement with sexually explicit deepfakes. Notably, many boys who have recently used abusive behaviour have also experienced it recently themselves.   
• Many of the boys surveyed are accessing pornography that depicts unsafe, aggressive or non-consensual acts – shaping distorted understandings of sex and relationships.  
• Mental health is another pressing concern. Many boys reported experiencing poor mental health, yet a significant number are not seeking support for personal or emotional issues. More than a third (34%) of boys feel that it is weird for a teenage boy to talk about his feelings with other teenage boys.

Outcomes

The Adolescent Man Box study will offer critical insights for practitioners, policymakers and educators to inform the design and delivery of programs and practices to prevent violence and contribute to broader national conversations about gender equality and the prevention of violence. We hope this study will serve as a catalyst for further exploration, investment and innovation in how Australia supports boys to be their best selves.