Boys Adrift Part 1

Leonard Sax, MD, PhD 

A growing proportion of boys today regard academic achievement as something girls care about. Working hard to get straight A’s in the era of Eminem and John Mayer and Justin Timberlake has come to seem un-masculine in the eyes of many boys (but not all; we talk about the exceptions). Dr. Sax begins this presentation with an overview of the five factors driving this growing epidemic of unmotivated boys. He then shares strategies which have been effective in re-engaging some of these disengaged boys and young men. Key aspects of this presentation include best practice for identification of boys at risk, and effective intervention with those boys. Also considered is the risk of over-diagnosis of conditions such as ADHD and Oppositional-Defiant Disorder, with special attention to how professionals who work with teenage boys can be effective advocates for those boys within the system. 

Recorded: October 19, 2013