Boys Will Be Boys

This is a multimedia video project made by Laurie Petrou in 2012. It features the voice of a young boy describing society’s prescribed ideas around masculinity and what it means to be ‘a real boy.’

Discuss the poem by asking participants to respond to some of the following questions:

• Did any part of the poem stand out to you?

• Do you think there was a difference between what the boy said he was expected to feel and act, and how he actually felt?

• What else did you notice?

This is an excerpt from Next Gen Mentors, our set of resources and community of practice for facilitators working with boys and nonbinary youth on topics of mental health, healthy relationships and gender equality.