In the 1990s all the major newspapers and magazines began writing stories about the problems with boys. I remember the subject coming up in my 11th grade “Current Events” class. “There must be something wrong with you, not me,” I thought as I read the article. That was 1997 and every few years since, major news outlets would highlight boy malfunctions – ADHD, aggression, substance abuse, and all the rest of the talking points. The trend has continued. Everyone seems to have a theory, but none of these media outlets has solutions. Most often it seems there is an agenda behind the story – an agenda that does not want to solve apparent problems.
As it turns out, my 11th grade self may have been correct. Thankfully, there is a big-brained champion for boys.
Christina Hoff Sommers is the opposite of the news writers. To her, the data shows there are obvious problems with many young men and there are equally obvious solutions. Her book, The War Against Boys, launches a data driven attack on schools, feminist, and various cultural influence. Her analysis is based on data and science. Sommers is a first class academic of the highest caliber and puts her high-powered intellect to use defending boys. The questions she seeks to answer is this: Why does there seem to be a war on boys?
Let the Record Reflect…
- In school, boys earn lower grades, receive fewer honors, and are less likely to attend college,
- In fact, only 39% of college students are male,
- 93 percent of inmates are men,
- Young men commit suicide at 5 times the rate of young women,
- Single men in their 20s earn less than single women in their 20s,
- Young men account for most ultra violent crimes, and
- Malaise consumes large numbers of young men.
It is clear there is a problem with many boys and men. The solution, according to Sommers, is not making the boys get in touch with their feelings or shaming them for enjoying competition or adventure. These strategies haven’t worked, so it’s time to change tack.
Sensible Solutions to Ending the Ward on Boys
Sommers’ overarching theme is this: there is a “large and growing cohort of poorly educated young men in our midst, boys who are going to be lost in our knowledge-based economy. To address the problem, we must acknowledge the plain truth: boys and girls are different.”
This simple truth is often overlooked. Schools and portions of society too often look at boys as “malfunctioning girls.” This, Sommers contends, results from an organized effort by feminist groups to keep boys down so the girls can catch up. The problem is that the girls caught up decades ago and these feminist groups are still tearing away at the boys. Part of her assessment demonstrates there is a systemic problem in our society that many people vilify normal male behavior and attack masculinity.
The proper way to address masculinity is to use it for good, not destroy it. Sommers shows that teaching boys to channel their natural tendences through self-control and discipline, brings out the best in boys, young men, and adults. It’s when boys are forced to be something they are not and punished harshly for minor offenses instead of being shown discipline, that society loses touch with young men. When boys and men are kicked out of society without a purpose, they become extremely problematic and violent.
Above all, Sommers argues boys, and all kids, need a moral education. Without it, they are barbarians, abusive, and dangerous. Adults must teach and give boundaries, not excuses. Boys respond well when given a sense of duty and purpose. Morality is an indispensable resource, which our society seems to have abandoned.
Throughout the book, Sommers addresses numerous related topics. Among them are the following:
- The “spread” phenomenon, which shows boys are more likely than girls to be extremely successful or extremely troubled.
- Why the gender wage gap agenda is misleading and dishonest.
- How the widespread assertion that boys are violent, has led to strict punishments and expulsions – when viewing boys as rowdy and high energy would lead to more corrective steps like teaching self-discipline, morality, and how to be a gentleman.
- How boys become second class citizens.
Until recently, she writes, “boyeshiness” was celebrated, but now it’s labeled a problem. This is a huge issue because we are turning boys away from school and society. When high energy boys and young men are engaged with school and society, they use that enthusiasm towards productive pursuits. Conversely, when they are not engaged, they can easily turn their focus to damaging ends. Disengaging boys at an early stage in life is devastating to them personally and leads to societal decay.
What Do We Do with This Information?
Since writing The War Against Boys, Sommers has pitched four action steps our society can begin taking now to help all boys become more productive citizens. Presenting on Prager U, Sommers declares, “Being a normal boy is a serious liability in today’s classroom.” She contends the following action steps are easy ways to begin addressing the problem:
1) Turn boys into readers by giving them things they like to read – they want non-fiction and action.
2) Inspire the male imagination. For example, let boys write about action and battles, not personal narratives.
3) Zero out zero tolerance. We cannot afford to disengage boys by kicking them out of school for insubordination or minor issues.
4) Bring back recess. Since the 1970s school kids have lost 50% of unstructured play time at school. Boys need to work off energy and play competitive games.
Life can be difficult. The trick is avoiding unforced errors – bad marriage, divorce, poor career moves, not taking care of your health, smoking, and countless others. Add to the list systematically harming boys. Unforced errors make the unavoidable challenges of life even harder. Our society has made a massive unforced error by bringing down the boys. We created a boy problem. We don’t have to keep digging a deeper ditch.
Be sure to watch our review here.
For additional information, read our reviews of Boys Adrift and The Boy Crisis.
You can purchase the book here: https://amzn.to/45a7Ko6
