Boys Branded ‘Bad’

It’s never been harder to be a boy. 

At a time when everyone is hyper-aware of gender dynamics, boys are increasingly navigating a world where their identity is framed through suspicion. The media headlines, cultural conversations, and even everyday school interactions are reinforcing a story: boys are bad. What’s more concerning? Many boys are starting to believe it.

To better understand how Gen Alpha views gender, we ran an Omnibus survey with 7–14-year-olds across the UK and US.

We asked: What words would people use to describe boys and girls? The results offer a revealing insight into how both genders see themselves and each other. 

When describing boys, the top responses included: 

• Sporty – 49% 
• Strong – 48% 
• Funny – 36% 
• Badly behaved – 34% 
• Cheeky – 28% 

In contrast, girls were seen as:  

• Creative – 41% 
• Funny – 37% 
• Clever – 36% 
• Good – 36% 
• Well behaved – 34% 

When asked how they see each other, the divide widened: 

• 44% of girls said boys are ‘badly behaved’ 
• 28% of girls went as far as to say boys are simply ‘bad’. 

And boys? They’re internalising it:  

• 25% of boys described boys as ‘badly behaved’,  
• 14% of boys called boys ‘bad’  
• 28% said boys were ‘good’, compared to 44% of girls who said the same about their own gender. 

The result is a growing identity crisis, where boys are absorbing cultural narratives that position them as the problem, while girls are encouraged to see themselves as capable, clever, and correct. This isn't about placing blame but about noticing imbalance. If boys only ever hear that they’re disruptive, aggressive, or failing, they start to live that label. 

And we’re already seeing how this plays out in the day-to-day experiences of kids: 

“The teacher kept us back late and said it was because of our behaviour, but we didn't really do anything. He didn't really explain what we had done - it was annoying." - Boy, 12, UK 

“Football has been banned at lunch and break time because Year 6 boys were being too aggressive. They would kick the ball too high and shout at people!” - Girl, 11, UK 

"Andrew Tate is brought up in most places. He's a rich dude and he talks about women but in his own way of speaking like a billionaire. I like him because most of the stuff he says is good." - Boy, 13, US 

The last quote is particularly telling. In a vacuum of positive male role models, figures like Andrew Tate step in offering boys a distorted sense of worth, confidence, and belonging.  

At Beano Brain, we’ve been tracking this shift for years. And while girls’ empowerment has rightly been celebrated, we must not let boys be forgotten. A new generation is forming its sense of self, and if we don’t change the script now, we risk losing them to narratives that are louder, simpler, and far more damaging. 

So, what’s next? It starts with asking one question in every campaign, classroom and headline: What about the boys? 

For exclusive survey answers for your business growth, contact our team today if you want to find out more about our omnibus surveys.