What is the boy crisis?
It’s a crisis of education. For the first time in American history, our s ons will have less education than their dads.
It’s a crisis of mental health. As boys become young men, their suicide rates go from equal to girls to six times that of young women.
It’s a crisis of sexuality. Sex is a minefield for our sons. They’re bombarded with mixed messages, afraid of being either too sensitive or not sensitive enough.
It’s a crisis of fathering. Boys with less-involved fathers are more likely to drop out of school, drink, do drugs, become delinquent, and end up in prison.
It’s a crisis of purpose. Boys’ old senses of purposes, being a warrior, a leader, or a sole breadwinner, are fading. Many bright boys are experiencing a “purpose void,” feeling alienated, withdrawn, and addicted to immediate gratification. Compounding this issue are addicting video games that lead to distraction and ADHD.
So, what is The Boy Crisis? A comprehensive blueprint for what parents, teachers, and policy makers can do to renew our sons’ sense of purpose to help them become men, fathers, and leaders worthy of our respect.
Warren Farrell, PhD, is the author of two award-winning international bestsellers: Why Men Are the Way They Are plus The Myth of Male Power. He has been chosen by the Financial Times as one of the world’s top one hundred thought leaders. He is the chair of the Commission to Create a White House Council on Boys and Men. He is the only man in the US to have been elected three times to the Board of the National Organization for Women in New York City. He started more than three hundred men and women’s groups, including ones joined by men, from John Lennon to John Gray. He has appeared repeatedly on Oprah, The Today Show, and Good Morning America and has been the subject of features on 20/20 and in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, People, Parade, and the New York Times.
John Gray, Ph.D., is one of the world’s leading relationship experts, and an authority on improving communication styles for couples, companies, and communities. His many books have sold more than fifty million copies in fifty different languages worldwide. John lives with his wife and children in northern California.