International Day of the Boy Child: Raising Responsible Boys for a Better Society

Every year, the International Day of the Boy Child provides an opportunity for society to reflect on the growth, development, welfare, and future of boys within our homes, schools, religious institutions, and communities. While global conversations have rightly focused on empowering the girl child and addressing the inequalities faced by women and girls, there is also an urgent need to pay attention to the emotional, moral, psychological, and social development of the boy child.

A balanced society can only emerge when both boys and girls are properly nurtured, guided, and equipped to become responsible adults. Neglecting the boy child today creates dangerous consequences for families, communities, and the nation tomorrow.

Who is the Boy Child?

The boy child is the male child from infancy through adolescence who is growing physically, emotionally, mentally, socially, and morally into adulthood. He is a son, a brother, a future father, husband, leader, professional, and nation builder. Like every child, the boy child deserves love, guidance, protection, education, discipline, and opportunities to thrive.

However, in many societies, especially within African communities, the boy child is often raised with unhealthy assumptions. He is frequently told to “act like a man,” suppress emotions, avoid vulnerability, and dominate others. Unfortunately, many boys grow up without emotional support, positive mentorship, or proper moral orientation.

Challenges Faced by the Boy Child

Today, the boy child faces numerous challenges that threaten his development and future. These include:

1. Emotional Neglect

Many boys are raised to believe that expressing emotions is a sign of weakness. As a result, they suppress pain, anxiety, fear, and frustration, leading to anger, depression, aggression, and emotional instability in adulthood.

2. Poor Mentorship and Lack of Positive Role Models

Many boys grow up without responsible fathers or male mentors who can teach them integrity, accountability, respect, and discipline. Instead, they learn from harmful peer pressure, violent media content, and negative societal influences.

3. Exposure to Violence and Crime

Some boys are exposed to cultism, drug abuse, gang violence, internet fraud, and criminal activities at a very young age. Economic hardship and societal pressure often push them into dangerous lifestyles.

4. Harmful Patriarchal Orientation

In some communities, boys are wrongly taught that being male automatically makes them superior to women and girls. This unhealthy mindset encourages dominance, control, disrespect, and abuse.

5. Academic and Social Pressure

Many boys face pressure to become financial providers early in life, causing school dropouts, child labour, and risky survival behaviours.

6. Digital and Social Media Influence

The rise of toxic online content promoting misogyny, hyper-masculinity, violence, and exploitation has negatively influenced many young boys who lack proper guidance.

The Impact of Neglecting the Boy Child

When society neglects the boy child, the consequences often become visible in adulthood. Many broken homes, abusive relationships, violent behaviours, and social crimes can be traced to unresolved childhood experiences and poor upbringing.

A neglected boy child may grow into:

• An abusive husband
• A violent partner
• An irresponsible father
• A criminal or social menace
• A man with poor emotional intelligence
• A leader who lacks empathy and compassion

Many cases of gender-based violence are perpetrated by men who were never properly taught respect, emotional management, accountability, and healthy masculinity during childhood.

Therefore, addressing violence against women and girls must also include intentional efforts to properly raise boys.

Raising Boys to End Gender-Based Violence

If we desire a safer and more peaceful society, we must intentionally educate and reorient the boy child. Boys must be taught that strength is not violence, leadership is not oppression, and masculinity is not dominance.

The boy child must learn:

• Respect for women and girls
• Emotional intelligence and self-control
• Consent and healthy relationships
• Peaceful conflict resolution
• Equality and mutual respect
• Responsibility and accountability
• Compassion, kindness, and empathy

Parents, teachers, religious leaders, and community stakeholders must discourage toxic masculinity and negative male dominance that promote patriarchy, abuse, intimidation, and discrimination.

We must raise boys who understand that women are partners in development and not objects for control or oppression.

The Role of Parents and Communities

In many homes, preference is still given to male children at the expense of the girl child. Ironically, while some families prioritize the male child materially, they fail to invest in his moral and emotional development.

Parents must understand that providing food, clothing, and education alone is not enough. Boys need:

• Attention
• Listening ears
• Moral guidance
• Positive discipline
• Good examples
• Safe spaces to express themselves

Communities must also create mentorship platforms, youth development programmes, sports activities, leadership opportunities, and counselling support systems for boys.

Religious institutions, schools, media organizations, and civil society groups must continue to promote positive masculinity and responsible manhood.

A Call to Action

As we commemorate the International Day of the Boy Child, let us collectively commit ourselves to raising boys who will become responsible men, caring fathers, supportive husbands, ethical leaders, and peaceful citizens.

Let us stop normalizing toxic behaviours simply because “boys will always be boys.” Instead, let us intentionally mould boys with values that promote peace, equality, dignity, and humanity.

The future of every society depends greatly on the quality of men it produces. If we fail to properly guide the boy child today, society will bear the consequences tomorrow.

Let us properly mould the boy child today so that we can raise better men, better fathers, better husbands, and better leaders for tomorrow.

A responsible boy child today will become a responsible man tomorrow.

Dr. Bright Oniovokukor Executive Director, 

Indomitable Youths Organization