Total votes
5-11 votes
11-16+ votes
Adolescence has been at the forefront of the national conversation recently, even sparking a discussion in Parliament around its themes of male violence and toxic masculinity. As young people are at the heart of the topic, we wanted to give them an opportunity to contribute to the discourse by sharing their thoughts and experiences. The lessons took a closer look at what it means to be a young man and to what extent this has changed over time. Our report details the breakdown of their votes and some of the main reasons they gave for their responses.
Secondary, College and 16+ students discussed, "Is it difficult to be a man?", while Primary 7-11 voters considered, "Are role models important to you?" and Primary 5-7 pupils were asked, "Do role models help you?"
44,460 young people responded to this VoteTopic.
I think role models are important because they can help you build your character and your personality and they can inspire you too.
We think that lots of the difficulties men face are put on themselves - this pressure to conform and 'be a man' often comes from other men and not women. It is harder to be a woman as we are afraid of violence by men.
Girls have to deal with periods, double standards, expectations of what they can and can't do. - Boys are given more freedom, less restrictions. Held to a different standard.
