Becoming a Man creates a safe space for young men to come together and discuss issues about their lives, taking into account their lived experience and the often difficult environments they navigate.
We currently deliver the programme in three schools in north London.
Through BAM we have supported around 700 young men – helping them to reach their full potential, make effective decisions in their lives, and helping them embody the values and skills necessary to succeed and contribute to society.
Helping boys become young men
Becoming a Man works with 12-16 year old boys as they become men. Delivered within schools, our expert BAM counsellors – trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Trauma-Informed Care – support young men to discuss issues in their lives and to identify the values that will help them contribute to society. And it supports these young men to make decisions about their lives and values, to help them get to where they want to be in twenty years' time.
Through a mix of group sessions, structured one-to-ones, and planned activities, BAM works to:
- Improve social-emotional wellbeing, enabling participants to become more resilient to challenges and strengthen their relationships.
- Improve the young people's social-emotional skills, such as empathy, emotional control, to reduce their risk of exclusion or involvement in crime.
- Help the young people improve their decision-making, emotional regulation and school engagement to increase their likelihood of pursuing further education or work.
Watch - BAM participants talk about their experiences
BAM's six core values
- Integrity
- Self-determination
- Positive anger expression
- Accountability
- Respect for womanhood
- Visionary goal-setting
It’s like a family, a safe place to talk, be happy and confident, to say what you want and speak to each other about what’s going on in and outside of school.
Why do we need Becoming a Man?
BAM (UK) was first established in Lambeth to support mental well-being, reduce the numbers of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET), and to help address a recent increase in serious youth violence. Although young people taking part in BAM will be identified as ‘in need’ or ‘at risk’, the programme nurtures individual capacities to reduce risk and need.
At the societal level, independent research of BAM programmes in the US showed a 50% reduction in violent crime, a 35% reduction in overall arrests, and a 19% increase in graduations. BAM in the UK wants to achieve similar results for participants in the UK.
Helping young men figure things out in terms of how they feel, why they feel that way and what type of man they want to become - it's not just that it's an honour to be a part, it's also sacred work!
Evaluating Becoming a Man
Becoming a Man has been evaluated by the Youth Endowment Fund, which found that:
- Young people perceived that following the BAM programme, they were applying themselves more at school and making more pro-social choices in risky situations.
- Young people reflected that BAM made an important contribution to the development of their values.
- The evaluator judged the quality of delivery to be generally successful. BAM counsellors were perceived to be proficient and skilled in several areas of delivery.
Read the full evaluation on the Youth Endowment Fund website
Bam has had a huge impact on The London Nautical School, not just the students who were fortunate to be a part of the programme but on the staff and the culture of our school. It has enriched the lives of the young people who were involved and aided their development as people, scholars and members of society. The BAM ‘Family’ have been incredible and inspiring to work with and are skilled practitioners who fit perfectly with the vision of our school.
Find out more
If you want to learn more about this programme, please contact MFarooq@mentalhealth.org.uk , BAM Scaling and Sustainability Lead.