GuysWork started because of a challenge facing part of Nova Scotia’s
health care system. The province’s school-based Youth Health Centres
were effective at helping young people improve their health, but not many
guys were using them; even though many young men are dealing with health issues. How did GuysWork start? The Department of Health and Wellness
and Education and Early Childhood Development wanted to disrupt one of the traditional masculinity norms that says guys are weak if they ask for help. Creating an all-guys health class helped shift that attitude.

We believe guys present different versions of masculinity shaped by messages from pop culture, families, advertising and marketing, sports culture, gaming culture and increasingly porn culture. Many of those presentations are not helpful or healthy. What is it trying to do? We want young men to feel comfortable and supported to present a more authentic version of their masculinity - usually a version that is healthier and more helpful, for them, and everyone else. 

Men’s health is something to worry about with higher rates of brain and spinal cord injuries, higher rates of death by suicide, and higher rates of alcohol-attributable deaths. Adherence to many masculine stereotypes is related to the poor picture of men’s health. Why should we care about the work? There is also a strong link between adherence to many traditional masculinity norms and gender-based violence. Talking about masculine stereotypes and how they impact the lives of young men – especially normalizing help-seeking – is one strategy to improve the situation.

The first evaluation, conducted by the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, told us how much the youth liked the approach, particularly the safe spaces for talking. Does GuysWork have an impact? The second and third evaluations told us attitudes around help-seeking and knowledge of consent were shifting in a positive direction. The latest evaluation reported a significant and positive shift in the way youth looked at traditional masculinity norms.

GuysWork sessions take place in a circle. The lessons are pieces of paper on the floor with students moving through an activity that encourages conversation and reflection. How are GuysWork classes different? It’s a simple set-up without lectures or technology. The facilitators focus on listening and asking questions without judgement, and youth only share what they feel comfortable sharing.

GuysWork facilitators are almost always school-based staff, including teachers, guidance counselors, specialized support staff, as well as vice-principals and principals. Facilitators have diverse gender identities and don’t have to be men, but some guys say having a male facilitator can help, especially when they lack a male role model. Who facilitates the sessions? There are typically two facilitators in the circle and the sessions happen during instructional time, with lessons aligned with provincial health curriculum outcomes. There are typically eight to 10 GuysWork lessons in each grade, six through nine.

We cover some of the same topics in a typical health class, but more of an emphasis on masculine identity, relationships, help-seeking, and lots of detailed content connected to sexual violence. What are the lesson topics? We also cover some topics that schools can be hesitant to surface, like pornography.

We think GuysWork can make a difference - if boys participate in GuysWork over multiple ages and stages of their youth. Can GuysWork help reduce gender-based violence? And the work must be part of a larger comprehensive and evidence-based strategy to reduce gender-based violence.

Some youth may feel uncomfortable in GuysWork if they’re unsure of their gender identity or don’t identify as male; but these are not permanent spaces. They are only temporary places for youth to explore masculinity and how it impacts their health. What about diverse gender identities? We want everyone to feel a sense of belonging in GuysWork spaces and inclusion is more expansive than just gender identity. There are many reasons why young people may not feel included, but facilitators work hard to create a welcoming community for everyone.

Health education experts develop the lessons in partnership with content specialists in government who ensure alignment with established curriculum outcomes. How are the lessons created? The lessons are regularly refined based on feedback from facilitators, new information from research and evaluation, and most important, feedback from youth.