Young men in Australia are struggling – and a new policy paper from Simon Kennedy, a Senior Research Fellow at AC, argues that our society can no longer afford to look away.
Dr Kennedy’s timely and wide-ranging policy paper addresses what he calls “Young Men Crisis.” Drawing on data from the e61 Institute, NAPLAN results, OECD studies, the Kathleen Burrows Research Institute’s analysis of NSW HSC outcomes, and Deloitte research into the future of the Australian economy, Dr Kennedy makes the case that this is a whole-of-society problem that demands a whole-of-society response.
“I hope the paper raises awareness of a widely misunderstood issue,” Dr Kennedy says. “Young men are often demonised in our society, as is masculinity. At the same time, young men are becoming increasingly invisible as a demographic group. The fact is, young men and boys are struggling and need our help. I want this paper to raise awareness with policy-makers, community leaders, and education leaders that there is serious work to do in this space.”
Three Areas of Concern
Dr Kennedy identifies three interconnected areas where young men are falling behind.
Education: Boys and young men are underperforming academically at both school and university level. Men now make up only around 40% of university graduates – a gap that the paper’s analysis of NAPLAN results and HSC outcomes suggests begins well before higher education.
Economy: Young men are increasingly marginalised in the workforce – working less, earning less, and facing shrinking opportunities as key industries continue to chage. Research from the e61 Institute paints a concerning picture of their economic prospects in the years ahead.
Society: Poor educational and economic outcomes are flowing through to young men’s social lives, leaving many without a clear path to partnership, family, or home ownership. The paper draws on recent academic studies into modern family dynamics to trace this connection.
Dr Kennedy also examines how these pressures make young men vulnerable to online influencers promoting toxic masculinity – a loose network of voices and communities now commonly referred to as the ‘manosphere’. Rather than demonising young men for being drawn to these influences, the paper argues that the more important question is why so many feel they have nowhere else to turn.
Practical Policy Recommendations
The paper puts forward 13 concrete policy recommendations spanning education, workforce, and housing. These include a parliamentary inquiry into the well-being of young men in Australia; educational reforms such as adjusted male school-entry ages; campaigns to encourage young men into underrepresented fields including health, education, and literacy professions; and tax reforms to help young Australians access the property market.
The policy paper arrives at a pertinent moment: the Federal Government has recently initiated an inquiry into educational outcomes, with a special focus on boys and young men – a sign that these questions are gaining traction at the highest levels of policy-making.
About Dr Kennedy
Dr Simon Kennedy is a historian whose work sits at the intersection of Christian education, legal thought, and political thought. His most recent book, Against Worldview: Reimagining Christian Formation as Growth in Wisdom, makes a case for the distinctiveness of Christian education.
Read the entire publication on the Page Research Centre’s website.
