Today we’re excited to launch our new campaign to create a better future for children and families.
It’s called United For Boys.
United For Boys is a global campaign to change the way society tackles sexual violence affecting boys; that combines public awareness-raising with systemic change. It calls on everybody – woman and girls, men and boys, professionals and the public, young and old – to be a part of building a brighter future for boys, and for everyone. Together, we are stronger.
Why it’s important
Sexual violence affects all children, but differences exist in how each gender experiences, discloses and recovers from it. We need to recognise and build on these differences to create ways to effectively improve the situation for everyone.
Extensive research has shown us that – whilst girls continue to be the group principally affected by sexual violence – sexual abuse of boys is also a large-scale problem; affecting an estimated 1 in 6 boys worldwide.
Ideas of masculinity can have a serious effect on boys’ willingness to disclose sexual violence and to seek help. Inappropriate notions of what it means to be strong and brave can mean that it is less likely that they will ever talk about their experiences, leading to further long-term damage to their wellbeing. It’s crucial that we learn to tackle these damaging ideas of what it means to be a man in order to create a brighter future for everyone, across the whole of our society.
What we’re doing
To better support boys we need to raise awareness, develop more gender-inclusive recovery services, improve sex education, change legal frameworks, and challenge the harmful cultural and social norms around gender and sexual violence.
We believe that the best way to achieve these improvements is by engaging professionals who can make changes to the system a reality for children worldwide.
That’s why we’re launching our new United For Boys Charter.
Will you support our campaign?
There are three ways you can get involved in our campaign.
1) Sign up to the Charter
If you work in an organisation involved in caring for and supporting children, and are committed to making change happen, you could sign up for our Charter.
The Charter calls for six evidence-based principles to better support boys with regards to sexual violence. Visit the United For Boys page to learn more and sign up.
2) Spread the news about our campaign
Visit our Facebook or Twitter pages to see what we’re sharing, and help us get the word out further by sharing our posts and tweets.
3) Support us with a donation
Everything we do is made possible by the generous support of people just like you; and any further donations made will help us make an even bigger impact in our efforts to tackle sexual violence affecting boys. To make a one-off contribution today, visit our ‘Make a Donation’ page.
