Boys need more support - report

Initiatives aimed at supporting young men in crisis have failed and are not targeting boys early enough, a new report shows.

The report, Young Men On The Margins, finds that despite challenges and confusion facing men in a rapidly changing society there is "no general crisis of masculinity".

However, the authors of the report, published by the Department of Social and Family Affairs yesterday, say an increasing alienation of a particular group of men is evident. They are in this situation because of "a combination of structural, familial and personal factors".

The report was written by the Katherine Howard Foundation, which works with young people at risk. It says changes in position of men in the family - e.g. more that half of all families do not rely on fathers as the exclusive breadwinner - "have undoubtedly influenced men's lives", with a shift in the balance of power in families.

Women are less dependent on the institution of marriage and are more likely to end a marital relationship. At the same time fathers within families are more likely to find the demands of work militate against their forming close bonds with their children. It says middle-class men are more readily adapting to the changing nature of fatherhood than working-class men.

"Gender changes have produced responses from men ranging from role reorientation to confusion to anger and rejection," it says. Young, working-class young men are worst affected "because they they are confined by their gender and world view". The authors look at the impact of unstable family life in childhood on boys. They find that where the father is absent, an adverse impact is more likely to result in "acting out" - i.e. deviant behaviour - among boys than girls.

In interviews with homeless young men common themes emerged. "Poor levels of education, followed by little or no vocational training, a lack of success in the job market and a background of personal, familial and health difficulties appear to be common features".

The authors say that while the education system offers some possibility to redress family problems, for many boys this may be difficult if not impossible as students are disengaging from education for various reasons.

However if a, particularly male, child's problems are not addressed at an early age "then the boy's difficulties are more likely to be manifested in a behavioural, conduct-disordered way".

The fact that marginalisation is faced by a "relatively small" group of young working-class men may tempt some to ignore them, the authors say. The fact however that this is a small groups means "a concerted and comprehensive approach" would produce solutions.