By Erica Pearson Star Tribune Tues., April 30, 2019 Psychologist Michael Reichert wants to reinvent boyhood and make it less dangerous — for everyone. Teen boys are more likely than girls to carry weapons, more likely to get in a fight, more likely to drive drunk, more likely to use drugs or alcohol before sex and far more likely to die young, Reichert writes in his new book, How to Raise a Boy: The Power of Connection to Build Good Men. He argues that this isn’t something boys are born with — it’s created by boyhood’s enduring cultural norms, clichés and pressures, as moms push sons away to avoid raising a “mama’s boy” and boys are told to “man up.” We talked with Reichert, who has two sons and a grandson, about the steps that parents, coaches and teachers can take to intervene, how his work connects to the #MeToo movement, and why he dislikes the term “toxic masculinity.” Q: Why is it so dangerous to be a boy? Article Continued Below A: The danger is the impact of the cultural norms of masculinity on how boys perform, particularly for other boys. The risk-taking, the unwise decisions, the trying to prove that you’re a tough guy, or macho, or dangerous, or bold — beginning really, really young. These norms actually impact boys’ behaviour and attitudes as young as 4 years old. I think that one of the secrets that I’m not sure women, even mothers, fully understand about the lives… [Read full story]
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