Coaching Boys into Men (CBIM) 

About CBIM

Athletic coaches play an extremely influential and unique role in the lives of young men, often serving as a parent or mentor to the boys they coach. Because of these special relationships, coaches are uniquely poised to positively influence how young men think and behave both on, and off, the field.

FUTURES’ Coaching Boys into Men (CBIM) program leverages the power of sports by providing high school athletic coaches with the resources they need to promote respectful behavior among their players and help prevent relationship abuse, harassment, and sexual assault. For more than a decade, the program has been implemented in communities across the U.S. and around the world. From Sacramento and Dallas, to India and South Africa, the program’s messages have proven universal.

The CBIM curriculum consists of a series of coach-to-athlete trainings that illustrate ways to model respect and promote healthy relationships. The CBIM card series instructs coaches on how to incorporate themes associated with teamwork, integrity, fair play, and respect into their daily practice and routine.

CBIM first launched in 2001 as a national public service announcement campaign in partnership with the Advertising Council. The television, radio, print, and online ads leveraged over $123 million in donated media and catalyzed grassroots efforts in communities across the country. CBIM has since grown from a broad awareness and action campaign into a comprehensive violence prevention curriculum for coaches and their athletes.

International Impact

Building on the success in the United States, FUTURES has taken CBIM global, harnessing the power of sports to inspire young athletes to value healthy, respectful relationships.

Since 2006, FUTURES has helped adapt, train, and support CBIM implementation in countries across Africa, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania — including South Africa, India, Australia, Ecuador, Angola, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Norway, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Together with partners including UNICEF, FIFA, the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), World Vision, as well as local schools, community organizations, and implementing partners, we’ve reached more than 370,000 adolescents with content designed to reduce relationship abuse and sexual violence.

Recent evaluations in Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda have demonstrated promising outcomes among adolescent boys and young men, including:

• Increased willingness to safely intervene when witnessing violence or harmful behavior
• Stronger rejection of harmful gender norms and violence
• Greater support for positive masculinity and healthy relationships
• Improved feelings of safety among girls and boys participating in schools and sports programs

The program also has been recognized by the World Health Organization within their recommended “Seven Strategies for Ending Violence Against Children.”

For More Information

Visit the Coaching Boys Into Men website now!