Youth In Crisis…Gender Biases, Too Womanish, Too Masculine

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – In the third installment of Behind the Silence: Youth in Crisis, the series turns its focus to how gender double standards affect the mental health of young people.

Society, experts say, often pressures youth to suppress their emotions, a burden that can have long-lasting consequences.

Youth leader Gabriel John, President of the Beacon Ignited Youth Group, emphasizes that emotions are natural for everyone, men and women alike, but cultural expectations often interfere with healthy emotional expression.

“Men, teenagers, young persons, we serve with emotions,” John explains. “And parents, especially with men, they say, ‘Oh, men ain’t supposed to be crying. That’s a woman’s thing.’ God gives us emotions. Crying is a part of life. Crying is a part of being human.”

John urges young people to take the time to understand themselves, establish strong morals and values, and recognize their worth. Without this self-awareness, he warns, youth risk losing their sense of identity.

“And we see a lot of persons growing up with anger, growing up with emotional problems,” John says. “Why? Because they haven’t had the chance, or haven’t had someone in their life, to say it’s okay to not be okay. It’s okay to say, ‘I need help.’ You’re not a sissy, you’re not less than a man, and just as well, you’re not less than a woman. You’re human.”

Suppressing emotions, particularly among men, can lead to dangerous coping mechanisms. Many turn to drinking, risky sexual behavior, or even gang involvement as misguided outlets for their feelings.

“This has caused a lot of damage,” John notes. “It doesn’t allow persons to find the right avenue to release. So they then find themselves drinking, involved in sexual activities, involved in gang activities because they feel it’s the only way to release their anger or feel like a man.”

The impact of gender biases doesn’t stop with the individual; trauma can ripple through families and future generations. John stresses the importance of finding healthy ways to express emotions, whether through journaling, speaking with someone trusted, or simply allowing oneself to feel.

“Knowing who to go to, finding the right avenues, sometimes just scream, just embrace the emotions you’re feeling, as hard as it is,” John says. “Even for me, it’s not always easy. Sometimes, I still struggle to embrace emotion because we’re human, and we don’t want to accept what has happened to us.”

Expressing emotions safely, experts agree, is a crucial part of mental health and personal growth, and it is a human right, regardless of gender.