Childline Gibraltar will mark International Men’s Day 2025, on 24th November with an all-male team of trained Listeners operating its Childline and Teenline helplines.

A statement from Childline Gibraltar follows below:

The initiative aims to offer a supportive space where boys, young men and dads may feel more at ease reaching out, knowing the person on the other end of the line may better understand the pressures they face.

“Boys and young men are navigating a complex and often confusing world shaped by social media, stereotypes and expectations about what it means to ‘be’ a man,” says Caroline Carter, CEO of Childline Gibraltar. “There is no single definition of masculinity. Every young person deserves a village of role models, not just one voice, and Childline is part of that village. By providing an all-male team on 24 November, we hope to create a safe space where boys and men can speak openly and without judgement. We want them to feel heard, valued and supported.”

In an online world dominated by influencers and competing messages, boys today are exposed to countless role models, some positive, others promoting harmful ideas about toughness, dominance or emotional suppression. They often receive contradictory instructions such as “be strong” yet “never show weakness,” making it difficult to know who to trust or what is expected of them.

These pressures, combined with long-standing stereotypes that discourage emotional expression, leave many boys and young men unsure of how to make sense of modern masculinity.