U.S. Society Ignoring Serious Boy Problems
Growing up is tough. But for boys, it may be even tougher.
While both boys and girls face issues – in school and out – the problems affecting boys are serious and have not been properly addressed by policy makers, according to a new review article by psychologist Judith Kleinfeld. Among the results: high rates of functional illiteracy and a troublingly high suicide rate that’s become even more pronounced in recent years compared to the rate among girls.
“Boys’ issues are being neglected, whereas girls’ issues have been addressed for over 20 years, with great success,” said Kleinfeld, a professor at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. “Now it’s time to turn our attention to boys.”
Following concerns about psychological and educational problems affecting girls in the early 1990s, discussion of a so-called “boy crisis” emerged. Some publications claimed that boys were falling behind girls in school success and that feminist ideology was partly to blame for lack of attention on the issue.
In her paper, Kleinfeld examines gender differences through a number of academic and social measures. She looked at educational achievement, school grades, engagement in schools, dropout rates, college entrances tests, suicide rates, depression problems, and conduct disorders for both girls and boys. She concludes that, while neither gender is in a crisis, boys’ issues are troubling and overlooked.
Johnny struggles to read
Kleinfeld finds that, compared with girls, American boys have lower literacy rates, lower grades, less engagement during school and higher drop-out rates. Boys also have higher rates of suicide, arrests and premature death.
This is so dishonest and misleading, I don’t know where to start.
Ever hear of testosterone? That would explain the higher arrest rate and premature death rate, i.e. from risky behavior, especially from boys and men under the age of full brain development, about 25 years old. Of course sophomoric and risky behavior might make for a bad civilian, but it makes for a great soldier.
As far as suicide, I’ve heard it said numerous times that girls try more often, but boys succeed more often. I don’t know if it’s true, and just hearing something repeated over and over again ad nauseam and taken as an article of faith is the main reason I doubt it. But if it is true, and if girls could knock themselves off at the same success rate as boys, then suicide would be a girl problem. Also, race comes into play in a discussion of suicide; whites have a higher suicide rate than non-whites, especially blacks, because suicide is most often a direct result of shame. You have to have a conscience and intelligence to feel shame.
Most of the rest of this can be explained by race and racial differences. The United States of America does not have a “boy crisis,” it’s just black and Hispanic boys being who they are.
