In August 2018, the American Psychological Association released the APA Guidelines for the Psychological Practice with Boys and Men.
As a psychiatrist and mother to boys, I perused the introduction to the release which declares that traditional masculinity is harmful for men and boys, I noted in the statement:
âThough men benefit from patriarchy, they are also impinged upon by patriarchy,â says Ronald F. Levant, EdD, a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Akron and co-editor of the APA volume âThe Psychology of Men and Masculinities.â I consider this to be as much a political statement as a sociological statement given the state of accepted discourse in America.
Though I think boys and men need to receive specialized care because they differ from women, the idea that masculinity is to blame for the problems men have is a gross oversight of the fact that men are having more problems because the culture stopped accommodating their masculinity a half-a century ago. The story of men in American culture disintegrated along with the American family and the onslaught of ardent feminism.
During this period, there was a radical shift  in the family. Large numbers of women began working outside the home and their children entered daycares. For the first time, children were being raised by strangers for much of the day rather than by their parents. There was also a shift in the educational system in which standardized testing requirements in schools surged.
In order for children to pass standardized tests, recess and breaks during the school day were reduced or eliminated. This required that children sit for much longer periods of time in school. Energetic boys and girls, therefore, had no outlet for their energy and would act up in school. Their attention flagged during hours of time without an outlet.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) first appeared in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 3rd edition in 1980. In 1987, the DSM 3rd revised edition listed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as a diagnosis.
It is not coincidental that the diagnosis of attention and behavioral issues surged during this time period of educational change. The use of stimulant medications in children, predominantly boys, dramatically increased.
In effect, medication replaced the development of coping skills and conflict resolution on the playground. Boys received little natural socialization in schools and were chided for being boys. What has emerged is a feminized education system where boys are at a disadvantage.
The masculinity of boys is not to blame; the culture is to blame for becoming intolerant of masculinity. It is not a surprise we see boys falling behind in education. Girls benefit from todayâs educational system that rewards conformity and compliance. Â
In the past, society celebrated boys to the detriment of girls but we have tried to elevate girls by denigrating boys and their masculinity. That boys are born with the roots of masculinity in their brains is downplayed.
The male baby in utero has a brain bathed in testosterone. Boys and girls are born naturally different. Babies have been exposed in utero to different hormonal influences. This affects more than just genitalia. It affects behavior and preferences after birth.
The APA guidelines mention that men are the primary perpetrators of violence against themselves, but suicide rates among males are elevated because they are the most likely to complete suicide due to the use of more lethal means.
Women, however, attempt suicide at higher rates and engage in more acts of violence toward themselves. Therefore, in effect, women harm themselves at higher rates than men. However, women use less lethal means in their suicide attempts. This results in a lower rate of completed suicide in women. In recent years, suicide statistics show that the fastest growing segment of suicides is actually among women.
The feminist movement destroyed families and the government entitlement system incentivized single parenthood. Â Many children are raised in broken homes. Masculinity is not problematic when funneled into productive activities. Fathers taught boys productive and moral outlets for their energies and aggression in the past.
Many boys are now raised primarily by women. Popular programs such as the Boy Scouts that allowed men to mentor boys in their own groups have disappeared due to theories that boys and girls do not need separate spaces to flourish.
When boys are not mentored by strong men with values, they are lost and will direct their energy and aggression into unproductive and violent outlets.
In fact, gangs attest to the breakdown of families and the need for men to mentor boys in the proper outlets for masculinity. A gang becomes a family for a boy. Gangs are like fathers who direct energy toward an end, albeit often in a self-destructive end. With high expectations of their members and missions to carry out, they demand loyalty to a creed even if that means death. Boys will find a father figure and strong mentorship when it is available and gangs provide it when no fathers are around.
Single mothers love their children and they are not at fault for not being fathers. It is essential, however, that boys have father figures to direct their masculinity into socially acceptable ways of expression. Boys and men have not changed. Society changed. It decided that inherent masculinity is a problem and declared it toxic.
The APA guidelines have it backward. Itâs not boys and men that are wrong. Rather itâs the cultural intolerance of boys and men being themselves that have created the crisis we now see.Â
Our culture failed boys and we are reaping the disastrous results of the attacks on them from every angle for the last half-century.
Males and females are complementary...it takes both to make the world go 'round and both should be supported in their healthy development.
"The story of men in American culture disintegrated along with the American family and the onslaught of ardent feminism."
I had started to post a long response along with my views. Needless to say, this statement struck a chord with me. Keep up the good work!