Protecting the Boy Child
A teenage boy recently opened up to me in the sincere way a child confides in a parent. He shared that he has been deeply troubled because several girls in his school keep pressuring him emotionally and physically. They tell him he is attractive and cute, they pursue him, and even his seniors says he is “too cute” to resist. One girl went as far as forcefully hugging him and boldly telling him that if persuasion fails, force must be applied. He also mentioned another boy experiencing the same pressure. We often only highlight the difficulties faced by girls, but boys also go through emotional manipulation, sexual pressure, and boundary violations. The silence around boys’ struggles makes them feel ignored and unprotected. From an Islamic perspective, this issue is not only about consent but about refraining from every behaviour that leads to temptation, harm, or immorality. Islam commands both believing men and believing women to lower their gaze, act with modesty, and stay away from s...
