Teenage boys must be taught how to deal with rejection and challenge underlying cultures that forbid vulnerability, as many feel pressure to follow restrictive ideas about masculinity.

While most young people are rejecting these forces, a small but significant number of boys endorse beliefs about maintaining a tough persona, being emotionally stoic and not "girly".

Boys who believe these masculine tropes are more likely to get into physical fights, sexually harass and use drugs and alcohol.

The findings come from the Adolescent Man Box survey of 1400 teenagers of all genders across Australia, released by The Men's Project at Jesuit Social Services.

The Australian-first study of 14 to 18 year olds mapped the results against the Adolescent Man Box 'rules' about masculinity.

The study

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