Check out the accompanying webcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPBx4Qe7GFI Research tells us about the importance of friendships for adolescents. However many adolescent boys struggle to make and keep close friends. The HHS Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) and the federal Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs have developed a new video, “The Crisis of Connection for Adolescent Boys,” which underscores this struggle to connect and provides guidance on how to foster supportive friendships among adolescent boys. This is the first in a new TAG Talks video series created as part of the Adolescent Health: Think, Act, Grow® (TAG) call to action and is accompanied by discussion guides for professionals and families and additional resources.

2. NIOBE WAY, EdD
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
THE CRISIS OF
CONNECTION FOR
ADOLESCENT BOYS

3. Adolescent Health: Think, Act,
Grow℠ (TAG)
A TAG TALK
HHS Office of Adolescent Health and
Interagency Working Group on Youth
Programs, 2016
THE CRISIS OF
CONNECTION
FOR ADOLESCENT
BOYS

4. The views expressed in this webcast do not reflect the official policies of the Office of Adolescent Health, or the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations
imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Any statements expressed are those of the presenter and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the Office of Adolescent Health or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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5. Justin, Age 14
“I guess in life, sometimes two people can really, really
understand each other and really have a trust, respect, and love
for each other. It just happens, it’s human nature.”

6. Michael, Age 14
“My ideal best friend is a close, close friend who I could say
anything to...’cause sometimes you need to spill your heart out
to somebody and if there’s nobody there, then you gonna keep
it inside, then you will have anger. So you need somebody to
talk to always.”

7. “I don’t care. Whatever.”
“I don’t have best male friends…I’m not gay.”

8. HHS Office of Adolescent Health
HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
and the Members of the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Commerce
U.S. Department of Defense
U.S. Department of Education
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. Department of State
U.S. Department of Transportation
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Corporation for National and Community Service
National Science Foundation
Office of National Drug Control Policy
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Small Business Administration
U.S. Social Security Administration
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9. Watch additional segments of “The Crisis of Connection for Adolescent Boys”:
• Why Social Connectedness is Important for Adolescent Boys;
• What Causes the Crisis of Connection for Adolescent Boys;
• Strategies to Address the Crisis of Connection for Adolescent Boys; and
• Questions and Answers on the Crisis of Connection for Adolescent Boys.
Access additional resources:
• Webcast Discussion Guide for Families and Discussion Guide for Professionals
• Citations for the Webcast
• Article by Dr. Way: Boys’ Friendships During Adolescence: Intimacy, Desire, and Loss from the Journal
of Research on Adolescence
• Deep Secrets: Boys’ Friendships and the Crisis of Connection, Niobe Way, EdD (2013)

10. Twitter
@TeenHealthGov
@YouthDotGov
Channels
http://bit.ly/245X5E4
http://bit.ly/1NJtnTD
Websites
http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/
http://youth.gov/
oah.gov@hhs.gov
youthgov@air.org
Contact
CONNECT WITH US
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