A comprehensive essay on the stereotypes and stigma confronting young men around the world today, with specific instructions to universities to tackle the problem - covers education, media, even 63% sentencing gap in criminal justice system. Published on Association of commonwealt universities

mhandanna · 2020-07-21T09:46:01+00:00

Stereotypes and stigma mean that many young men are struggling in silence.

By Rob Whitley, McGill University, Canada

Suicide is the leading cause of death for young men in many Commonwealth nations, including Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. In fact, men account for 70% of suicides across the globe, rising to over 80% in African Commonwealth countries such as Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa.

Men also make up over 75% of people with substance abuse disorders, which typically begin in early adulthood and can take a destructive toll on education and employment. Such disorders can increase the risk of injury, accidents, and even death. Indeed, statistics suggest that over 80% of drug overdose and alcohol poisoning deaths are male, indicating that gender gaps in suicide and substance use are literally a matter of life and death.

These statistics are prompting growing interest in the wider social challenges and underlying issues that may be influencing such high rates of mental distress in young men. So what is going wrong and what needs to change?

Blauwpetje · 2020-07-21T15:33:14+00:00

I visited a psychologist some times in the last few years. (I'm not young anymore but I wonder if the difference is that big.) She didn't know much more to say than: would you not just accept your situation? First I thought this was the powerlessness of modern psychology, but now I suspect it may have something to do with being a man. What I need imho is empowering, take charge of my relationships, stop being shy, dare to approach other men and especially women, but how can you as a psychologist support, let alone empower the 'privileged, powerful, oppressive' sex? This may not even be a conscious motive, but still prevent therapists from helping men effectively. Maybe indeed PUA's are even better.

1TrueScotsman · 2020-07-22T01:42:16+00:00

I always notice the unspoken disparity: intimacy. We dont talk about it directly or when we do (as a society) we blame the men. Male intamacy needs are portrayed as predatory, controlling, immoral. Even regarding them as needs gets you called entitled.

Men need unconditional love and physical intamacy. We can't dance for it forever...it is exhausting.

Evedience is rising that involuntary celibacy (as defined by social scientists, not the online hate movement) is on the rise for men but not women. What is causing this should be investigated as it is a serious social problem just as divorce and the decreasing marriage rate (especially for those in lower socioeconomic strata). But when investigated will the investigators be unbiased? I doubt they will. Feminists framing is rampant in the social sciences and even more so at the policy level so even if we have good science it wont translate into good policy.

Anywho...even after having written this I notice how very careful I had to be to not assert any causual hypothesis to explain the trend as that must remain unspoken. Its simply taboo.

Antovigo · 2020-07-21T23:28:53+00:00

That was interesting, but why doesn't he link the studies he cites?

"Instead of receiving sympathy and support, some participants reported that their spouses would attempt to ‘shame’ them into greater achievement by constantly reminding them of their ‘failures’."

"Similarly, some studies indicate that the state and society may act in an empathic manner towards women with mental illness, while responding more punitively towards men with mental illness"

"In another study, I found that the media tend to use stigmatising and derogatory language to describe men with mental illness, whereas women tend to be depicted in more empathic and compassionate terms"

Does anyone know where I can read/check these studies? I understand some of the author's own studies may not be published yet.

SamuelLBronkowitz20 · 2020-07-23T04:52:20+00:00

Farrell’s books “The Myth of Male Power” and “The Boy Crisis” are very well researched and fantastic resources.

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Stereotypes and stigma mean that many young men are struggling in silence.