Long before he became one of the nation’s leading voices on the emotional lives of adolescent boys, psychologist and New York Times bestselling author Dr. Michael G. Thompson actually focused his studies on the psychological issues of young women. “I got into schools as a consultant,” Thompson says, “and all of a sudden, all of my work was little boys.”

Thompson and co-author Dan Kindlon released their acclaimed book Raising Cain in April 1999, six days after the shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo. The book - which examines the emotional complexities of young boys and teenagers - suddenly thrust Thompson into the spotlight while the country tried to asses what was wrong with its boys.

On this 2018 episode of Paternal, Thompson discusses the impact of Raising Cain and his thoughts on the continued proliferation of high school shootings, how to protect the emotional complexities of young boys, and why fathers struggle to connect with their sons.

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