Vulnerable Young Males: Research Findings Nina Vaswani, Development Officer, Youth Justice

True or False? Women talk more than men Men have bigger brains than women Women have a more sophisticated sense of humour than men

The Method Profile of Needs Literature Review Consultation with young males Mapping of Services

Self-harm and Suicide Self-harm more common among females However, ratio of DSH to suicide was 88:1 (females) and 19:1 for males Substance Misuse a particular factor for males Problematic cognitions that were help-avoidant Young males less likely to seek help: “not that serious” “my choice” Females more likely to advocate ‘talking’, males also sports activities and clubs

Sexual Exploitation Barnardo’s – 14% of referrals were males Underlying and immediate vulnerabilities Additional male issues:  younger exploitation  safe sex  sexual identity  inadequate social support networks Early intervention

Child Trafficking 19% - 41% of potential trafficking victims are male Children less likely to seek help than adults Males more likely to enter the UK through clandestine methods Risk factors same but nature of exploitation differs by gender Cultural issues in relation to help-seeking Need to keep young people safe once they have sought help

Absconding Young males 5 times less likely to abscond than females Young people potentially exposed to significant risks while absconding Similar backgrounds between the genders Identifying young people at risk – CBCL Impact of ensuring a relevant and up-to-date plan Functional assessment

Substance Misuse High use of alcohol use among schoolchildren, recurring theme in VYP Males more likely to be regular drug users than females Difference between ‘negative’ and ‘positive’ reasons for drinking – particular issue for males and a strong link between anxiety and alcohol use. Challenges in effecting long-lasting behavioural change

Offending and Violence Young males more likely to be involved in offending than females Young males commit almost 90% of violent offences by under 18s Potential role of domestic violence Anecdotal evidence that bullying and victimisation frequent Clear pathway of services in the city based on evidence

Learning Difficulties 2 out of 3 children identified in schools as having SEN are male Complex interlinking between learning difficulties and vulnerable populations i.e. offenders; comorbidity Identification crucial School problems (6 times more likely to be permanently excluded) Social skills training; cooperative learning

Homelessness Rate of families in temporary accommodation was double in Glasgow Young women more likely to be statutory homeless, young men more likely to be non-statutorily homeless Some groups are more vulnerable and the risk factors seem to affect males more Impact of social support networks

Mental Health ONS suggested children with a mental health problem are more likely to be male, Scottish study suggests little difference Gender differences vary across disorders (i.e. depression, psychotic disorders etc) Reluctance to seek help, poor mental health literacy

crossover substance misuse homelessness violence / offending learning difficulty mental health self-harm / suicide absconding sexual exploitation child trafficking homelessness substance misuse

The common thread Help-Seeking Social Support Emotional competence & Mental health literacy Suicide / Self harm Sexual Exploitation Child Trafficking Homelessness Mental Health Offending Substance Misuse

Gender gap in help-seeking 30% of males reported that they would not seek help from anyone regarding personal, emotional or distressing problems Men are more likely to have experienced psychosocial problems as a result of their substance use but are less likely to seek help Young men consistently ignore health symptoms and avoid seeking help from health services Even for common low-level issues help-seeking is significantly higher among female adolescents than it is for young men

Gender gap in help-seeking “Women seek help, men die” Angst & Ernst 1990

Gender-role theory Behaviours and attitudes that men and women acquire from the culture in which they live that influence how men and women should act in daily life. Gender role conflict in help-seeking:  An orientation towards success, power and competition  Restrictive emotionality  Restrictive affectionate behaviour between men  Conflicts between work and family The amount of gender-role conflict in relation to help-seeking will depend upon the extent to which men subscribe to the norms of their gender

Social Psychology Ego-centrality of the problem Normativeness of the problem Reactance or perceived loss of control Reciprocity

Mental Health Literacy Emotional Competence The ability to recognise MH problems and the knowledge and belief systems about causes, treatments and services The ability to identify, describe and manage emotions Poor mental health literacy common among adolescent males Emotional competence less developed among males

Social Support Networks Social support has been found to significantly affect a variety of outcomes during adolescence:  protective factor in preventing suicide in young males  safer sexual behaviour  lower substance use  delayed sexual activity  reduced offending and violence Inappropriate social support can provide the opposite effect Males are frequently found to lack social support networks

3 step diagram Recognition of problem Need for outside help Contact with ‘helper’

Facilitators / Inhibitors Familiar or trustworthy ‘helpers’ Previous positive experience of services Being treated with respect – attentive listening, non- judgemental etc Personal motivation Element of control in intervention Help-avoidant cognitions Distrust of ‘helpers’ or the ‘system’ Previous negative experiences of seeking help Lack of knowledge about available help Depression / anxiety / substance misuse

Interventions Social learning theory would suggest that help- seeking and coping are learned behaviours and are therefore amenable to change Help-seeking behaviour patterns are established (though not fixed) by adolescence, and begin to emerge at age 3 - placing a strong focus on early intervention and the role of parents as critical role- models in early childhood and the role of parenting interventions where necessary

Interventions Awareness-raising / Information sessions Including barriers and motivators to help-seeking as part of screening and assessment Parenting and early intervention Social skills, emotional competency, mental health literacy programmes Improve social support networks Responsivity i.e. gender of service providers; anonymous helplines; Motivational interviewing

Summary Gender-awareness for men as well as women: males experience the same vulnerabilities as females Encouraging help-seeking behaviour can significantly improve the health and well- being of males Help-seeking is a learned behaviour that can be changed