The Changing Face of Men Behind the Scenes

By David S. Prescott, LICSW

An “Opinion – Data Points” piece in the Financial Times by John Burn-Murdoch dated September 20, 2024, illustrates a growing trend in research involving men’s experiences. Titled “Young Women Are Starting to Leave Men Behind,” it reviews the current state of education, employment, and outcomes and concludes, in essence, that much has changed in the past 30 years.

Reporting on these findings is never easy. Before even reading this kind of article, it is easy to object on the grounds that the “glass ceiling” is still firmly in place, that the majority of violence is perpetrated by men against women, etc. It is also noteworthy that the role of gender in this research is seemingly limited to cisgender men and women and does not examine race. Just the same, in line with Richard Reeves’ 2022 book, “Of Boys and Men,”  Burn-Murdoch points to data that professionals seeking to end abuse will want to know. From the article:

- Where slightly more men than women used to go to university; now far more women go than men. This finding is similar in the UK, US, Canada, Korea, Norway, and Spain.

-  Young women's employment rates are overtaking men's in several developed countries including the UK, US, Australia, Canada, France, and Norway.

-  The share of young men who are neither in education, in work, or looking for a job is climbing, including in the UK, US, Canada, and France.

-  Young women's incomes have overtaken men's in the UK. It is a similar story in the US, where young non-college women and college-educated people of both sexes have all seen incomes either hold up or increase, but non-college men have plummeted down the income distribution.

-  Young men continue to out-earn women in the US, though non-college men's economic status has fallen steeply.

As Burn-Murdoch notes, “while discourse and policy remain focused on other things, the repercussions of these tectonic shifts are quietly playing out everywhere you look.” He further comments that, “With socio-economic trajectories heading in different directions, a growing minority of young men and women do not see eye to eye. Young male support for populist rightwing parties is on the rise, particularly among those without jobs and degrees.” He further postulates that “Violent unrest is more likely with a growing pool of young men with little stake in society or their future. And relationship formation itself is being affected, as growing numbers of female graduates discover a shortage of male socio-economic counterparts, and simultaneously have less need than ever to pair up with a man for financial support.” Like Reeves, he emphasizes that situations should never be a zero-sum game. To this, this writer would add that the original aims of social unrest beginning in the 1960s was to increase equality, not to leave people behind.

Why mention these findings in a blog centered on sexual abuse prevention? After all, individuals are responsible for their own behavior and these kinds of findings should not be considered exculpatory with reference to violence. And all adults have a responsibility to prevent child abuse. Nevertheless, there is much going on behind the scenes of these data. One need only look at the life expectancy gap due to increases in “deaths of despair” among men.

Some considerations for practitioners include:

-  Taking note of the circumstances and contexts in which dynamic risk factors may become aggravated (e.g., collapse of social supports, escalating negative emotions, emotional loneliness, etc.).

-  Being able to discuss these findings with clients and understanding that societal inequities can be more complicated than they seem.

-  Doubling down on expressing empathy and compassion, and forming meaningful working alliances with clients.

Some implications for broader efforts at sexual abuse treatment and policy include:

-   The need to be aware of and discuss these issues with our colleagues and policymakers; while concepts like patriarchy and hegemonic masculinity continue to require our focus, we should also be aware that there are other changes taking place. We can’t focus in one area at the expense of another.

-  Understanding that if we really want to end violence, we may need to take a long, hard look at our education systems, including in the earliest grades.

-  There is an urgent need for more research to understand the roots of these trends and disparities.

The good news in all of this is that we finally have data to help us find our way. Whatever the pet theories that might emerge in some areas, we are several steps ahead in terms of finding data-driven ways forward.