I am tired of hearing people say, "boys will be boys..." as an excuse when their son misbehaves. This is not an acceptable excuse, nor does it explain their behavior since there are plenty of boys that do behave. Children should be raised the same regardless of gender, and the view that they should be raised differently is what fuels depression, domestic violence and rape culture.

Boys have always been taught to hide their emotions. Tears are considered weak, discussing how they feel is considered "girly" and hiding emotions is their only option to avoid being bullied. The suppression of feelings can lead to depression. This causes a problem since there is a stigma against seeking mental healthcare, especially for men. Suicide can then seem like the only option after years of suppressing feelings.

Not only is self-harm a problem, but so is harm to others. As boys grow up, it is considered the norm for them to get into physical fights. However, it is considered completely unacceptable for girls to fight. The notion that boys are supposed to fight is then carried through adolescence into adulthood. Fighting occurs in big part because boys are not taught to discuss differences and solve problems. Instead, they are taught to fight. We now have men hitting women because they were reinforced for doing so when younger.

Boys are rarely taught to respect girls. In fact many view the word "girl" as an insult. They are led to believe that girls are "too emotional," "too weak" or "too self-involved." In high school, a boy who sleeps around is a hero, but a girl who sleeps around is a slut. Dads congratulate their sons for getting girlfriends and encourage them to make a move, but they freak out when their daughters get boyfriends and make rules to prevent any moves from happening. Instead of boys being taught to respect girls, they were taught that they were better than girls. This separation fueled rape culture. It became ok to assume a girl wanted it by the way she dressed or acted. It was ok because she was drunk or unconscious and couldn't say no. It was ok because judges are going to let boys off with a warning because why ruin someone else's life, even though that girl will never sleep another night. It was ok because, "boys will be boys." This is not okay.

We have the opportunity and means to change the world. We can teach our boys that it is okay to express how they feel. Instead of fighting, there are better ways to solve differences. Girls are equal to them. If we raise boys and girls the same way, we can build a better world.