单项选择题
They’re young, they’re often highly visible—and they’re in deep trouble. America’s adolescent boys may look strong as they swagger (大摇大摆) down the street, but in reality they are the population at highest risk today for all kinds of serious problems.
Rates of anxiety disorders and depression are soaring among them. For the first time, depression among males is nearly as prevalent as among females in this group. The boys, as well as their sisters, belong to the first generation of divorce. Instead of a stable and supportive family base to keep them from feeling overwhelmed at times of stress, many are the products of absentee parents and conflict.
And today’s boys are facing unprecedented stresses from many directions. While there is less certainty about the outcome of the college race, there is no letup in expectations for male success. There is more career confusion, and paths seem less clear.
Given the uneasiness, substance abuse is an easy attraction, as is the pressure for early sexual activity. Contrary to popular mythology, boys are just as anxious and confused about sex as the girls are.
But perhaps the biggest problem with today’s young males is that they often have mild to moderate alexithymia (述情障碍)—they are unable to identify their own and others’ feelings and thus unable to communicate about them. They never learned how from absent or overworked (过度工作) fathers.
However, the ability to communicate feelings is an increasingly important survival skill. It is certainly required for stable interpersonal relationships throughout life — at school, at work, and in the families most expect eventually to create.
For adolescent boys as for anyone, resolving the pressures in one’s life involves figuring out how you feel. There is an immediate need to take action. If not, our sons face life-threatening consequences.
Ways to save our boys might not be easy, but surely worth the effort of trying. First, educate yourself about the psychology of boys. Know more about how boys are struggling with all the aspects of their lives. Second, talk with adolescent boys. Let them know that you’re really interested in understanding their experience in the world. Make no attempt to judge the information or control the discussion.
Then all that you need is to discard the prevailing cultural myth that would have you take a step back from their lives. More than ever, adolescence is a time when kids need your support. You need to recognize that there is an all-important difference in the way genders display distress. Boys tend to express negative feelings in violence toward themselves or others, in self-destructive behavior and recklessness, and in substance abuse.
A. stable interpersonal relationships
B. schools and teachers
C. their peers who are facing the same problems D. family’s supports especially their fathers