September 2, 2014

The Roundup contains information about all of the latest news, commentary, reports, surveys, issue briefs, charts, and fact sheets related to boys' issues collected by our staff during the preceding week.

News Clips

  • Testosterone Study: Exposure to Phtalate, Found in Plastic, Can Reduce Levels
    Phthalate is a chemical that's commonly found in plastic and some personal care products. It is known to have many negative effects on a person's mental and physical health. In a new study by researchers from the University of Michigan, it was found that adults and young boys exposed to high levels of phthalates have reduced levels of testosterone in their blood compared to those with lower exposure to the chemical.
    hngn.com
    August 30, 2014

  • 'Lost Boys' Photo Series Depicts A Softer, Millennial Side Of Masculinity
    Huffington Post
    August 28, 2014

  • Don’t color them bad
    On a visit to the State Capitol, young black leaders and advocates share experiences with legislators � in hopes of helping to shape policies that could determine their future. “We have heard a lot about disparate outcomes for boys and men of color across our systems and disciplines, but nowhere can you see this more than in our criminal justice system,” 
    Wave Newspapers
    August 28, 2014

  • Inside the teenage brain: New studies explain risky behavior
    It's common knowledge that teenage boys seem predisposed to risky behaviors. Now, a series of new studies is shedding light on specific brain mechanisms that help to explain what might be going on inside juvenile male brains. Florida State University College of Medicine Neuroscientist Pradeep Bhide brought together some of the world's foremost researchers in a quest to explain why teenagers�boys, in particular�often behave erratically.
    Medical XPress
    August 28, 2014

  • Teen Boys More Likely to Receive Mental Health Services
    A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) shows that 4.3% of US teens had a serious emotional or behavioral difficulty between 2010 and 2012 for which they sought nonmedication mental health services.In addition, 71% of these kids, who were between the ages of 12 and 17 years, received these services during the previous 6 months, and boys were more likely than girls to receive these types of services overall and specifically within school settings.
    Medscape
    August 28, 2014

  • A Message to Our Boys About How (Not) to Become Men
    Huffington Post
    August 27, 2014

  • With Eye Toward Equity, Schools Rethink Discipline
    Now, a growing number of school districts across the country are discarding policies that experts say target minority students unfairly, and increase their odds of more serious encounters with the justice system as they age out of school.
    Huffington Post
    August 28, 2014

  • Barnardo's: Sexual exploitation of boys 'overlooked'
    The stereotypical belief that boys are less vulnerable to child sexual exploitation means they are receiving insufficient protection from front-line services, Barnardo's has claimed. The children's charity says new findings reveal up to a third of victims are male. The figure, taken from analysis of more than 9,000 records, shows a deeper problem than previously recognised.
    BBC
    August 26, 2014

  • Study finds young driver's gender linked to crash type, injury severity
    Researchers found several differences in the types of crashes between young men and women, including:

    • Young females were 66 percent more likely to wear a seat belt than young males.
    • Young females were 28 percent more likely to drive on a restricted license than young males.
    • Young female drivers had more crashes at intersections and collisions with pedestrians.
    • Young males had more crashes after sunset than young females.
    • Young female drivers were more likely to be involved in crashes during weekdays, while young male drivers were more likely to be involved in crashes during the weekend.
    • Young male drivers had more off-road crashes than young females.

    Medical Xpress
    August 26, 2014

  • Obese boys more likely to be involved in bullying
    Obese boys are more likely to be both bully and bullied than slimmer peers, and the process begins before these children ever set foot inside a school.
    In a finding that illustrates the complexity of bullying, Dutch researchers report that obese boys are more likely to bully and be bullied than their thinner peers and the vicious cycle begins before these children ever set foot inside a school.
    Health24.com
    August 26, 2014

  • The death and deformity caused by male circumcision in Africa can’t be ignored
    For thousands of African boys, the silence of the international community has devastating health consequences
    Every year across sub-Saharan Africa, hundreds of thousands of boys and young men submit to initiation ceremonies. The specifics vary, but typically youths will spend weeks living near-naked in temporary shelters with minimal sleep, food and water. After the operation the penis is bound tightly with sisel leaves.
    The Guardian
    August 25, 2014

  • Whoa: Adult Female Video Gamers Outnumber Teen Boys
    Step aside, Junior. When it comes to playing video games, grown women are coming out on top. A survey from the Entertainment Software Association has found that, contrary to the typical gamer stereotype, adult women outnumber adolescent males by a significant margin. Of the 59 percent of Americans who play video games, 36 percent are women aged 18 or older. Boys 18 or younger, meanwhile, represent just 17 percent.
    Refinery29.com
    August 23, 2014

  • Rise in number of baby boys born with a deformed penis leaves Swedish doctors baffled
    Researchers in Sweden assessed data collected on Hypospadias between 1973 and 2009. They found that before 1990, only 4.5 boys out of every thousand had the condition known as hypospadias. But after 1990, the figure had risen to 8 per 1000 boys.
    The Telegraph
    August 22, 2104

  • Why are more boys than ever self-harming?
    The number of boys self-harming is at a four-year high, according to official figures � and many more cases are going unreported, finds Theo Merz
    Almost 5,000 males between the ages of 10 and 19 were admitted to A&E over the last year with self-inflicted injuries � compared to 4,422 in 2012-13 and 4,611 in 2011-12. And those who work in youth support services suggest these numbers are just the tip of the iceberg, as they only account for injuries which require emergency treatment.
    The Telegraph
    August 21, 2014

  • The cure for cancer that parents won’t use
    Yet numbers released last month by the CDC show that my sons, now 14 and 15, are among a small minority of adolescent males who have been vaccinated. In 2013, just 14 percent of American boys ages 13 to 17 had received all three recommended doses of the HPV vaccine. (The CDC also recommends “catch-up” vaccination for males up to age 21.)
    Washington Post
    August 21, 2014

  • Math, Game Apps For Mobile Devices Are Targeted At Boys Three-Times More Than Girls
    "There are 16,855 apps for non-college level math and they are targeted by the developers at boys three times more than at girls" ... "At the same time, the reviews indicate much more balanced use of math apps by boys and girls: of all reviews that indicate children’s use and specify gender, 45% indicate that the user is a girl."
    Cinema Blend.com
    August 20, 2014

  • Los Angeles to Reduce Arrest Rate in Schools
    Under new policies expected to be introduced Tuesday, students who deface school property, participate in an on-campus fights or are caught with tobacco will no longer be given citations by officers from the Los Angeles School Police Department. Instead, they will be dealt with by school officials.
    New York Times
    August 18, 2014

  • HPV Vaccine Protects Against Infection 8 Years Out: Study
    Doctors continue to urge parents to get the recommended three doses for their preteens
    A new long-term study shows that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine appears to protect against the sexually transmitted virus for at least eight years.HPV is thought to cause the majority of cervical cancers. Certain strains, such as HPV 16 and 18, are most strongly tied to these tumors. The virus is also believed to cause genital warts in both men and women and certain head and neck cancers.
    Medline Plus
    August 18, 2014

  • Neglected boys may turn into violent adolescents
    In a study of currently incarcerated male adolescents, physical neglect during childhood arose as the strongest predictor of violent behavior, said William McGuigan, associate professor of human development and family studies at Penn State Shenango. Researchers are just beginning to acknowledge the powerful role of neglect in influencing adolescent violence, he added.
    Penn State News
    August 18, 2014

  • Parents spend more time talking about money with boys than girls
    A gender gap exists between boys and girls when it comes to discussing finances and feeling confident about money matters. Boys are more likely than girls to say they talk with their parents about financial matters and also more likely to report feeling smart about money, according to newly released data from T. Rowe's annual Parents, Kids and Money Survey. The survey includes responses from children ages 8 to 14 and their parents.
    Baltimore Business Journal
    August 18, 2014

The Boys Initiative 900 Second St, NE, Suite 200 Washington, DC 20002
(202) 567-3531 | info@theboysinitiative.org | www.theboysinitiative.org

The Boys Initiative is a groundbreaking national nonprofit campaign to shed light on documented trends in recent years pertaining to boys' underachievement and young men's failure to launch. For more information about The Boys Initiative, visit www.theboysinitiative.org.