Member's statement: Young Men in Crisis

Member's statement by Ms Joanne Bunting on 14 April 2026.

MLA: Ms Joanne Bunting
Party at the time: Democratic Unionist Party
Date: 14 April 2026
Type: Member's statement
Business: Members' Statements
Heading: Young Men in Crisis
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5481983

Text

In recent years, teachers, youth workers and parents have raised growing concerns about the problems facing our boys and young men. The problems are not anecdotal. Last March, the Centre for Social Justice published its 'Lost Boys' report: sobering research that gained national attention. It highlights serious issues across employment, education, family life and fatherhood, crime, health, technology and porn. It shows that boys are falling behind girls at school, are less likely to get into stable work, are significantly more likely to be involved in crime and are three and a half times more likely to take their own life. Two and a half million children in the UK are growing up without a father figure in the home, and, in the absence of positive male role models, many boys are turning elsewhere for identity and guidance. Louis Theroux's 'Inside the Manosphere' has sparked a national conversation about what is shaping young men. It uncovers the dark world of hyper-masculine influencers. Without better alternatives, they then quickly become counter role models, promoting a misogynistic, conspiratorial and violent distortion of masculinity, leaving boys insecure, anxious and under impossible pressure to conform to a narrow, toxic view of what it means to be a man. Northern Ireland is not immune to those challenges. Men accounted for 79% of suicides in 2024, and suicide remains our leading cause of death in males under 50. Our economic inactivity rate is higher than the UK average, especially amongst working-class men, and our young men are the most likely in the whole of the UK to watch porn. Evidence suggests that the type consumed is increasingly violent. We also face additional unique pressures as paramilitary groups continue to lure some young men into criminality, compounding their existing challenges. Many young men are growing up without the guidance, purpose and mentors they need to thrive. The consequences are felt far beyond those individuals by families, communities, women and our whole society. We must ensure that those issues get attention, and we must deliver solutions, invest in youth and mental health services, support mentoring and strengthen online safety. Many of those young men lack aspiration and self-belief. They do not have anyone to champion them or even to listen. By acknowledging the crisis and committing to solutions, we can send a clear message: our young men are valued, and our society needs them. Yesterday, I hosted an event to explore these issues with those in education, business, the PSNI and justice. These challenges cannot be solved by government alone; we need community groups, Churches, sports clubs and families to collectively consider solutions. Let me also be very clear: this is not a competition between boys and girls and women and men. It is about starting a holistic conversation on how we can build a society where everyone can flourish together. The conversation has just begun. Please join it.

481 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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