Our schools have to make the distinction between actual violence, which must be discouraged, and fantasy violence, which should be accommodated. Otherwise, we risk giving boys one more reason to believe that school is not a place for them. - Michael Thompson, Ph.D America's boys are in trouble. Their classroom performance has deteriorated over the last 10 years. They are more violent than their counterparts in the rest of the industrialized world. Many are unable to express their emotions. From the public school system to the absence of strong male role models, boys face a number of obstacles. But what can be done to keep them from growing into men who are stoic, silent - and explosive, more prone to anger than to empathy? RAISING CAIN, hosted by child psychologist Michael Thompson, Ph.D., co-author of the best-selling book Raising Cain, explores the emotional development of boys in America today. Thompson consults with some of America's most respected psychologists, social activists, researchers and educators to probe the issues facing young males. The documentary provides surprising new research about boys' inner workings, dispelling a number of commonly held misconceptions and highlighting innovative programs that are bringing out the best in America's boys. RAISING CAIN airs on PBS Thursday, January 12. Check local listings. Research confirms that genetically baby boys and girls exhibit more similarities than differences. Contrary to common stereotypes, experiments show that baby boys are emotionally more vulnerable than girls. At Harvard University Medical School, Thompson follows an experiment that shows how infant boys and girls deal with the absence of a mother's attention. While the girls remain calm and find ways to occupy themselves, the boys become upset. But from a young age, boys are directed to deny their feelings and emotional responses. They are encouraged to exhibit aggression and toughness as signs of manliness; feelings of vulnerability and fear are discouraged. Authority figures then react simply to the physical and aggressive behavior they see rather than boys' true feelings. Problems intensify as boys enter the public school system. In American culture, teachers typically want to protect children by intervening in conflicts and aggression. As a result, boys have difficulty learning to take responsibility for their actions. In addition, they are more physically active and less emotionally mature than girls. Boys find school a major challenge because inactivity is counter to their biological tendencies. Thirty years ago, recess was available twice a day. Today, schools are cutting back recess time or eliminating it altogether, leaving boys with few ways to work off their energy. This can lead parents to turn to medication. Nearly 85 percent of the world's stimulant medication is prescribed to American boys. High school can be the toughest and most dangerous years of young men's lives. This is especially true for boys without a father or strong male role model. They seek an alternative among their peers - which can lead to gang involvement. Boys engage in deep relationships, just as girls do, but they still need guidance from parents who engage in real conversations and provide open expressions of affection. From lack of role models to confusion among adults about how to handle boys, the obstacles boys face can seem daunting. For some boys, life is especially precarious - drugs, gangs and poverty are just some of the everyday realities they face. As author Geoffrey Canada states, "I think it's critical that boys see men doing the kinds of things we want those boys to do for their own children - wiping their noses, holding their hands, taking them across the street, helping them with their homework. All of that stuff that is against sort of the modern mythology of maleness." RAISING CAIN offers concrete ways to improve the way Americans raise their boys. Host Michael G. Thompson is a consultant, author and psychologist specializing in children and families. His areas of expertise include eating disorders, depression, teenage suicide and social development. As a clinical consultant, Thompson has worked with more than two hundred independent schools across the U.S. and in other countries. He and co-author Dan Kindlon wrote the New York Times bestseller Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys (Ballantine Books, 1999). He is the author of Speaking of Boys: Answers to the Most-Asked Questions About Raising Sons (Ballantine, 2000) and co-author of Best Friends/Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Lives of Children. Dr. Thompson received a B.A. from Harvard College, a Masters in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He received his clinical training at the Psychiatric and Psychosomatic Institute of Michael Reese Hospital, where he was a fellow in the Laboratory for Clinical Research and Training in Adolescence.
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