Ohio School Provides Safe Space for Teen Boys to Express Their Struggles

In Oberlin, Ohio, something special is happening at the local high school. Every other week, a group of over a dozen teenage boys gathers for Men’s Work, a program led by Johnny Cole and David Reese. They dive into topics like the role of men in today’s world and what it means to be a modern man.

This safe space is crucial because, let’s face it, being a teen boy these days comes with its own set of challenges. “Boys, in particular, feel this emotional roller coaster,” says Cole. They hear conflicting messages about how men should behave, and many struggle to express themselves or find adult role models who show them how.

A survey by the Pew Research Center revealed that only 38% of teen boys feel comfortable discussing their mental health with friends. In the same survey, 43% of teen boys said they feel pressure to be physically strong. This pressure drives some young men to the “manosphere,” a world of online influencers who promote images of unrealistic strength and appearance.

But there’s hope. The Men’s Work sessions provide a space for boys to challenge these harmful messages. Santos Navarro, a senior at Oberlin High, shares his experience, saying, “I feel like there’s a lot of influencers now that try to tell kids to use steroids.” The sessions aim to counter these toxic influences and offer a more positive way forward.

The reality is, there’s a lot of pain and confusion out there for teen boys. Reese points out the attraction of the manosphere – where everything seems fine on the surface, but underneath, boys are struggling to understand their emotions and find their place in the world. Men’s Work seeks to provide a more compassionate path forward.

Recent research by the American Psychological Association supports this idea. Teens and young adults who cut back on social media saw improvements in how they felt about themselves and their appearance. It’s clear that spaces like Men’s Work are crucial for helping young men navigate today’s complex world with support and understanding.