Beyond the Manosphere: Eight Ways to Actually Help Boys

Global Fund for Children Shares Eight Evidence-Based Ways to Support Boys and Young Men in Developing Healthy Masculinities

WASHINGTON, D.C. / LONDON, March 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When Louis Theroux's documentary Inside the Manosphere hit Netflix on March 11, it went straight to the platform's No. 1 spot. For Global Fund for Children (GFC), which partners with youth workers and community-based organizations supporting boys and girls around the world, the public reaction was familiar — concern, anger, and the same question that never quite gets answered: what do we actually do?

As part of its work, GFC supports community-based organizations across 22 countries, funding grassroots programs that give boys and young men safe spaces to explore who they are, build emotional skills, and develop their own definition of what it means to be a man. It is, in the organization's view, the most effective counterweight to the manosphere. Not banning content creators, not shutting down platforms, but giving boys something real to belong to instead.

"The global conversations sparked by programmes like Adolescence and Inside the Manosphere underscore the urgency of our work. At GFC, we've been championing healthy masculinities since 2019, collaborating with community groups that make a real difference in boys' daily lives. Our partners, deeply embedded in their communities, provide the vital connection and support that boys and young men desperately need. The solutions to these complex issues lie in fostering genuine community bonds and positive role models. We're committed to tackling gendered stereotypes, creating space for boys and young men to speak up about their lives, reconnecting boys with strong, consistent mentors, and facilitating real in-person relationships that combat the trauma, isolation and loneliness many young men experience." Katherine Gilmour, Regional Director for Europe and Eurasia, Global Fund for Children

Why Boys Are Drawn In

The manosphere is not simply a collection of extreme views. In significant part, it is a community. One that offers lonely and confused young men a sense of belonging, a language for their frustrations, and a clear if damaging story about the world. A 2025 study of 3,000 young men across the US, UK, and Australia by the Movember Foundation found that nearly two-thirds reported regularly engaging with masculinity influencers online.

‘Inside the Manosphere’ showed us the scale of the problem. GFC's work — spanning England, USA, The Americas, West Africa and beyond — offers some of the answers.

Eight Things to Know About Supporting Healthy Masculinities in Boys and Young Men

1. Boys are looking for connection. Before addressing what the manosphere offers, it is worth understanding why it resonates. For many boys, these online spaces provide a sense of belonging, an explanation for why their lives feel off-track, and a community that seems to understand them. The real question is: where else can they find that?
2. Real-life communities work. Structured programs in sports, arts, mentorship, and youth groups give boys a safe space to explore their identity and develop social skills — something an algorithm cannot replicate.
3. Shaming backfires. Ridiculing harmful influencers — or dismissing the boys who follow them — often achieves the opposite of what is intended, confirming their belief that they are misunderstood and looked down on. Drawing young men into conversation, rather than pushing them away, is more likely to lead to lasting change. Create space for them to interrogate their beliefs and evolve their worldview without being defined by what they may have once believed.
4. Critical thinking is a necessity. Young people need the tools to identify misleading content, recognize manipulation, and interrogate what they see online. Useful prompts when talking with boys: Is what this person saying actually true? What facts might they be leaving out? If you had to debate them, what would you say? How might they benefit from spreading this content, even if it isn't true?

"Question everything. Whether you're in a learning process or not, questioning is a powerful tool that can take you places you'd never reach otherwise." — Steven, Guatemala, supported by GFC partner Asociación SERniña

1. Masculinity is not one-size-fits-all. GFC deliberately uses the plural: masculinities. There is no single way to be a man. How masculinity is expressed varies with culture, age, lived experience, and much else. That diversity is something to be celebrated and explored, not resolved into a single competing template.

"From birth, we aren't really told how to evaluate and express our emotions as men, but especially as Black men. We learn to cope and not solve the deep-rooted issues and it isn't healthy." Julien, 22, Spark Fund participant, Atlanta, USA

"Adopting healthy masculinity has helped me build stronger relationships, gain self-respect, and find peace in being true to myself." William, Sierra Leone, supported by GFC partner Center for Advocacy and Sustainable Empowerment

1. Role models are key. Boys who encounter real men demonstrating empathy, care, and integrity — in their communities, schools, and local organizations — have a counterexample to the influencer model. GFC's community partners focus on building those networks of mentors and peers who demonstrate that strength does not require dominance or emotional shutdown.

Talking about volunteering with Worth Valley Young Farmers Club in Bradford England, as part of GFC’s Boys Beyond Bias campaign in 2025, Jacob, 16 said "I think it was important to show communities and individuals that the stereotype of today's youth isn't always true and to show that the youth is a key part of our world. I believe social action encourages friends to join in and give it a go, because they see some of us older lot as role models and they see us doing it and think well if they're doing that I can do that too."

"A healthy masculinity is understanding that we have to take care of ourselves and others. This process has made me become autonomous. I discovered more about myself." Leo, Colombia, supported by GFC partner Culturas Campesinas

1. It benefits everyone — including girls and young women. Work supporting boys and work supporting girls address the same underlying structures. They are, as GFC describes them, two sides of the same coin. When tackled together, the results are better for everyone.
2. Everyone has a role to play. Lasting change happens when families, schools, youth organizations, and local leaders work together. Individual conversations matter — but they are most powerful when embedded in a broader community of support.

A Global Response to a Global Problem

GFC's approach to healthy masculinities spans three continents.

In the United Kingdom, GFC's Healthy Masculinities program has supported 19 community-based organizations across England since 2020, providing £572,450 in flexible funding. The current cohort of seven organizations works with boys and young men with lived experience of domestic abuse, youth violence, poverty, exclusion, and trauma — from boxing gyms in London to youth centers in Hull and community groups in Torbay. The program is supported by The National Lottery Community Fund, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and People's Postcode Lottery. Learn more:

globalfundforchildren.org/healthy-masculinities-united-kingdom

In Latin America,  GFC’s Promoting Youth Leadership for Gender Justice initiative is also known as the HEEL initiative — from a Mayan word meaning change and transformation — works with youth-led organizations in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Colombia. Using art, storytelling, and community-led workshops, partners create safe spaces for boys to challenge harmful gender norms and define what masculinity means to them. Learn more:

globalfundforchildren.org/initiative/promoting-youth-leadership-for-gender-justice-heel

In the United States, GFC's Spark Fund — a youth-led grantmaking model — partnered with The Imperative in Atlanta to put $200,000 of mental health funding directly in the hands of young Black men aged 18–30. Before distributing a single dollar, the cohort spent months examining their own experiences of trauma and structural racism. They then selected five grassroots organizations that conventional foundations had consistently overlooked. The initiative is a direct demonstration of GFC's core belief: that those closest to a problem are best placed to solve it. Learn more:

globalfundforchildren.org/initiative/the-spark-fund

"As a 21-year-old Black man, I feel it is important to support the mental health of young Black men and boys because they face unique challenges related to systemic racism and societal expectations. By supporting mental health, we can help break the stigma around seeking help and promote emotional well-being within our community." Kenneth, 21, Spark Fund participant, Atlanta, USA

Globally, GFC works with partners across 22 countries to advance gender justice through healthy masculinities, girls' education, LGBTQ+ youth rights, and the prevention of gender-based violence. Learn more:

globalfundforchildren.org/global-support-for-healthy-masculinities

About Global Fund for Children

Global Fund for Children partners with community-based organizations around the world, helping them deepen their impact on the lives of children and youth and build their capacity for social change. GFC works across 22 countries and focuses on education, gender justice, safety and wellbeing, youth power, and climate resilience. As a feminist-led organization, GFC is committed to a world where every child grows up safe, valued, and free. Visit globalfundforchildren.org.

Note to Editors Interview opportunities are available with GFC spokespeople and program partners.

Jenny Rose
Global Fund for Children
+44 7957551697
jenny@happypr.co.uk

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.