Becoming a Man Program in Chicago

National Public Radio aired a story today about a youth program in Chicago meant to curb gang-related violence. The program, Becoming a Man (BAM), appears to focus on gang-related crime from the perspective of gender, seeking to reduce recruitment of adolescent boys into gangs by underscoring healthier outlooks regarding masculinity.

Interestingly, the article does not heavily focus on the gender details, although one specific section does stand out:

DiVittorio [the program's creator] says the violence in the neighborhood makes one aspect of BAM critical. He calls it "men's work," where students sit in a circle and discuss their feelings — a topic that many consider taboo, he says.

Here is the link to the entire article, and here is some more information about BAM.