A survey of teenagers reveals attitudes towards masculinity and behaviours like drinking alcohol. Photo: Dean Lewins/AAP PHOTOS

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.

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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, sexuall

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