Young Man's Guide to Contemporary Issues

Struggling under cultural expectations regarding masculinity, pushed by peer pressure, pulled by parental authority, and buffeted by hormones, adolescence can be a fraught time for teenage boys. Striking an accepting, compassionate tone, this book explains to teen male readers why they may be experiencing so much confusion, frustration, anger, and sadness, why this is normal, and how it can be dealt with in a healthy and positive manner. Addressing issues like peer pressure, substance abuse, bullying, cyberbullying, the dangers of online communication, depression, and anger management, this book is essential reading for any teen boy standing at the cusp of manhood. It offers desperately needed understanding and insight to struggling teen boys, and explains exactly where to get help whenever help is needed.

So many aspects of our popular culture, including male subcultures such as fraternities and gangs, tell boys that being aggressive is fundamentally, quintessentially male. Is it any surprise that many boys come to believe that in order to be real men, they must be aggressive? This book offers the opposite message to young men-that they can be safe and strong without resorting to violence and aggression. The author provides thoughtful advice about dealing with bullying and cyberbullying, managing anger, and dealing with emotions nonviolently. Appealing photos show diverse images of masculinity.

The teen years are a fertile and fevered period of self-doubt, self-exploration, and identity building. Teen boys experience enormous pressure to think and act in certain ways and to not "stick out" for any reason. This book seeks to lay bare the many pressures being exerted upon teen males to develop into a socially acceptable type of manhood. Tackling head-on issues such as bullying, peer pressure, parental disapproval, sexual confusion and anxiety, safe sex, and life as an LGBT teen, this book is for all teen males-whether straight, gay, or bisexual-who wish to grow into manhood in their own way and be the best men they can be.