{
  "id": 16414231,
  "title": "The silence of adolescent boys and its costs",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/the-silence-of-adolescent-boys-and-its-costs",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-25T01:46:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-silence-of-adolescent-boys-and-its-costs-10935663/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The silence surrounding adolescent boys is a societal issue with far-reaching consequences—one that affects both young men and women. At Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, Natasha leads the gender portfolio and has found that boys are often taught from a young age to suppress their emotions. A study commissioned by RNP spoke with over 80 young Indian males, aged 18 to 24, from various backgrounds. While discussing the need to provide for their families, the conversations revealed a hidden side of adolescent boyhood filled with unspoken challenges. Childhood was cherished, where boys could express emotions freely, but adolescence brought significant changes. Group dynamics were a survival mechanism, yet boys faced ridicule for their appearance, body parts, voice, or physical strength. They couldn't complain without becoming more vulnerable targets. This conditioning to suppress distress or seek help has led to a society where many men view seeking assistance as a sign of weakness. Breakups, another emotional upheaval adolescent boys rarely discuss, often lead to severe consequences like revenge porn, sextortion, doxxing, and trolling. CBSE's cyber safety manual only advises young people to cope with rejection, failing to address the underlying issue that teenagers seek peer approval. Mentors like Luis and Dr. Fiona Dias Miranda have observed that schools focus on skills and mindsets, but never delve into sexuality or relationships. Luis' personal experience, as a victim of abuse as a child, highlights the long-held silence surrounding such matters. The absence of societal understanding of adolescent boys' vulnerabilities is exacerbated by economic trends such as low high-school education rates, leading to a workforce lacking emotional, social, and academic literacy. With more girls in secondary school, boys are dropping out to enter employment early, facing heightened risks of violence, substance abuse, and crime. The societal cost of leaving thousands of men undereducated and emotionally repressed is immense. The question remains: if adolescent boys need help, can we envision public initiatives to address their unique needs? Can we, as Richard Reeves suggests, move away from viewing the \"problem of boys as the problem with boys\"?",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}