"Equating talking about men with attacking others means that it’s safer to discuss negative aspects of masculinity than positive aspects, because that invites less confrontation. But there’s a lack of affirmative discussion about what we want boys and young men to grow up to be, and how we can empower young men to lead positive lives. A friend of mine is a lawyer who represents youth expelled from public schools… Most of the students she represents are male, and often these boys and young men get into trouble for fighting, inappropriate touching of girls, talking back to teachers, and generally disobeying the instructions of authority figures. My friend has recommended that schools and other organizations that work with male students try to develop programs and initiatives focused on encouraging healthy forms of masculinity. She believes more dialogue with boys about masculinity could help them mature and be more thoughtful about how they treat each other and their female classmates. But in response, she has been told that such initiatives would “promote patriarchy” and not be inclusive enough."