Nearly two-thirds of young women now say they find the majority of young men “pretty frightening”. New research lays bare anxiety felt in communities across Britain.
Sixty-two percent of women aged 18 to 24 agree with the statement “I find most young men these days pretty frightening,” according to polling by Whitestone Insight.
This fear is not limited to women. Forty-one percent of men in the same age group agree with the statement.
The findings come as a major report from the Centre for Social Justice is launched today which warns of a “crisis of masculinity” in modern Britain.
London is the part of the UK where people were most likely to find young men frightening (44%). People are least likely to say this in Scotland (27%).
The think tank is concerned that young men and boys are suffering from a lack of father figures. It has estimated that family breakdown costs the UK £64billion a year.
The report – Lost Boys – warns of how “millions of boys are deprived of any positive model of manhood”. Nearly six out of 10 people (58%) said that “reducing fatherlessness would help society as a whole” – with 52% saying the absence of dads is a “serious problem for Britain”.
More than half of people (56%) say the school system is “failing to develop and nurture this generation of boys”.
And 43% said that society does not “value traditional masculine values such as courage, resilience and competitiveness”.
Six out of 10 respondents said the widespread availability of internet pornography is “undermining relationships between men and women” In the 16 to 24 age group, seven out of 10 women and 62% of men said the easy access to online porn was “bad for men”.
Henry Patten, the Wimbledon and Australian Open men’s doubles champion, stressed the need for adults to “bring out the best” in boys.
He said: “Like lots of boys, there was a moment in my teens when if it hadn’t been for my family, friends and a couple of great teachers, life might not have turned out the way it has for me. There are so many things that are great about being a boy, rather than being on their case we need to help them bring out their best.”
Rosie Duffield – the Canterbury MP who has been praised by author JK Rowling for standing up for “vulnerable women and girls” – said the polling showed “many young people are really struggling”. She noted they are the “first generation forced to navigate the totally unregulated world of social media with access to unfiltered and often violent adult content”.
Ms Duffield added: “If young women and many young men are feeling afraid of other young men, this may also be due to the constant reports of rising violence against women and girls and knife crime and Parliament must work harder at eradicating that in order for young people to feel safe and grow in confidence.”
Andy Cook, the chief executive of the Centre for Social Justice, said that if “the hope that has been lost among boys and young men” can be restored this will help “overcome this terrible sense of fear that is so corrosive”.
A Government spokesperson said: “Young people should be able to live their lives without fear. This Government will treat violence towards women and girls like the national emergency it is and as outlined in our manifesto pledge, we will work tirelessly to halve it in a decade.
“It’s also vital that we ensure all young people can access the opportunities that will help them thrive in school, work and later life, no matter their background.”
