Young men and boys in America are facing a crisis that has been developing before our eyes for many years. After decades of godless, feminist thought eroding the position and reputation of men and the nuclear family—along with a marked decline in deference for the elderly—our young males are floundering in their search for good role models and struggling to find their God-ordained, necessary, and meaningful roles in society.

In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau counted twenty-four million children, nearly one in three, living without their biological fathers in the home. For African-American children, that number jumped to 72%, with 53% for Hispanics. Statistics strongly indicate that boys raised without fathers suffer a much greater risk of truancy, dropping out of school, criminal activity, alcohol and drug abuse, unemployment, and lifelong poverty than do boys raised by both parents in the home.

It is within this context that Americans have witnessed multiple generations of young boys who are over-mothered and under-fathered. As modern culture often advocates for single mothers, it continues to preach that masculine instincts are toxic. Meanwhile, entertainment and social media are conspiring to co-opt strong male role models with improbably strong females. Boys witness men portrayed as dimwitted, problem-causing buffoons. At the same time, they watch as women demonstrate intelligence and sophistication as problem solvers, resulting in a growing number of confused boys and young men, feeling resentful and emasculated, while struggling to reconcile their God-given masculine instincts with the social stigma attached to them.

Sadly, there seems to be little concern that these young men are also falling behind academically, suffering from depression, delaying or even avoiding joining the workforce, and failing to mature into adult men.

According to Pew Research, boys struggle to keep up with their female peers in school. The Heritage Foundation reports that by the eighth grade, only 20% of boys are proficient in writing, compared to 41% for girls. Forbes.com reveals that females outnumber males in college enrollment by 58% to 42%. Even male engagement in school sports has dropped by a significant margin in the past decade, indicating a growing apathy among young boys, while eliminating more opportunities for them to encounter positive male role models.

With their weaker academic and social footing and a less optimistic outlook for the future that naturally follows, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reports, unsurprisingly, that young men are nearly four times as likely to commit suicide as females. And the dominant social and political infrastructures built over decades to empower and protect girls cannot respond to boys in a meaningful way.

Regrettably, the progressive or “woke” cultural movement that has dominated political and social thought over the past few decades has left its indelible mark upon modern society, sabotaging traditional gender roles and favoring females over males. Ironically, increasing numbers of women, including feminists, are complaining about the lack of strong, confident men.

But, as modern man, under the sway of Satan, continues in his efforts to alter God’s good creation, dismantling the natural order of all things—including how all of humanity views itself—the only possible result is anxiety and disquietude.

As always, the solution lies in returning to God. Genesis 1:27 reads, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” In verse 31, we see that “God saw everything [including males and females] that He had made, and indeed it was very good.”