What in the world is going on with boys? There is a growing crisis among boys (and men) that has largely gone unaddressed or addressed in unhealthy ways. This crisis has been growing for some time. Take, for example, this excerpt from an article in The Atlantic entitled “The War Against Boys.”
Data from the U.S. Department of Education and from several recent university studies show that far from being shy and demoralized, today’s girls outshine boys. They get better grades. They have higher educational aspirations. They follow more-rigorous academic programs and participate in advanced-placement classes at higher rates. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, slightly more girls than boys enroll in high-level math and science courses. Girls, allegedly timorous and lacking in confidence, now outnumber boys in student government, in honor societies, on school newspapers, and in debating clubs. Only in sports are boys ahead, and women’s groups are targeting the sports gap with a vengeance. Girls read more books. They outperform boys on tests for artistic and musical ability. More girls than boys study abroad. More join the Peace Corps. At the same time, more boys than girls are suspended from school. More are held back and more drop out. Boys are three times as likely to receive a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. More boys than girls are involved in crime, alcohol, and drugs. Girls attempt suicide more often than boys, but it is boys who more often succeed.
That article was written almost 18 years ago.
Our host, Shane Vander Hart, discusses this crisis among boys with Mark Hancock, the CEO of Trail Life USA. Mark explains how his ministry helps to address this crisis and the good it does for the boys it serves, as well as, the men who lead local chapters. (Find a troop near you here or learn how to start one if there is not a troop in your area here.) Trail Life USA is a Christ-centered outdoor adventure, leadership, and character development ministry that started as an alternative for those concerned with the direction the Boy Scouts were headed.
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