Statement of Problem
Despite growing awareness of gender identity issues, many high school boys continue to feel pressure to conform to traditional masculine ideals. These expectations promote toughness, stoicism, and emotional control, often discouraging boys from expressing vulnerability or seeking help. Within school environments, such norms contribute to significant barriers in accessing mental health resources and developing emotional literacy.
Sources of Data
This study draws on existing data underscoring the relationship between masculinity norms and adolescent mental health outcomes. The National Comorbidity Survey–Adolescent Supplement (Merikangas et al., 2010) reports that only one-third of adolescents with a diagnosable mental disorder receive services. The World Health Organization (2017) recognizes depression as the leading cause of adolescent mental illness worldwide. U.S. studies show that over half of students hesitate to seek help for personal or emotional issues (Sylwestrzak et al., 2014; Vidourek et al., 2014), with boys being particularly affected due to gender socialization and stigma (Auger et al., 2018; Chatmon, 2020).
Conclusions Reached
The literature indicates a substantial correlation between adherence to traditional masculine norms and reluctance to seek help (Seidler et al., 2016; Wong et al., 2016). Boys who conform more closely to these ideals report poorer mental health and reduced help-seeking behaviors. Toxic masculinity manifests in schools through disengagement, withdrawal, or acting out (Blake, 2020; Heyder et al., 2020), highlighting the need to examine how gender norms are formed and reinforced in educational settings. Understanding these patterns can inform practices that promote emotional safety and normalize help-seeking among boys
- Strength in silence: Examining toxic masculinity's role in high school boys' reluctance to seek help
- Natalie Michelle Davis
- Sherrie Carinci (Advisor)Riana Pella (Committee Member) - California State University, Sacramento, Undergraduate Studies in Education
- Graduate and Professional Studies in Education
- Master of Arts (MA); Gender Equity Studies in Education; California State University, Sacramento; 12/05/2025; 2025
- California State University, Sacramento
- 05/18/2026
- 99258312679501671; https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12741/rep:14116
- Masters Thesis
- English
- 127