Laurie A. Couture research and work with children, youths, and families has found that boys and young men bear the brunt of traumatizing and neglectful practices in the home, at school, and in the medical, mental health, human service, and legal institutions. Many of these practices, such as Male Genital Mutilation (circumcision), developmentally inappropriate school curriculum, parent-child attachment problems, mass psychiatric labeling and drugging of boys, inadequate outreach and services for male victims of sexual violence, lack of nurturing from mothers, alienation of fathers, discrimination in the legal system, incessant male-shaming messages in the media, (and more) fall outside of the radar of most “child advocates” and social justice advocates.
Her research into empirical studies and my work with children, youths, and families has found that boys are at least 50% of the victims of sexual assault, dating violence, and child sex trafficking… Boys are the primary victims of community and gang violence, homicide, child abuse (including fatal child abuse), and suicide. In fact, boys and young men ages 10-24 account for 81% of youth suicides in that age category! Boys also wait the longest in the foster care system for adoptive homes… Yet, the White House Gender Policy Council only includes women and girls, in spite of the fact that there are already hundreds of foundations, organizations, programs, campaigns, and initiatives–plus several government offices–supporting the needs and empowerment of women and girls… but not one that supports the needs and empowerment of boys and men. Learn why it is a life and death matter to have a White House Gender Policy Council that includes boys and men… and that is sensitive to the needs and empowerment of boys and young men.