There was definitely a guy thing going on.

Fifty middle-school boys were led by male college students and adult men in Atlanta's first session of Boys Speak Out, a forum that gives young boys a place to discuss tough problems with some positive role models.

The program, held recently at Georgia State University, is the brainchild of Atlanta attorney Anthony Webb, who created the workshop series while he was an undergraduate at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.

The young southwest Atlanta native had a brainstorm for ways to help teenage boys make an easier transition to adulthood.

He and a few friends established a forum where 12- to 14-year-olds could safely discuss issues that pressured them daily: depression, attention-deficit disorder, sexuality, family concerns.

"We showed boys how to use the proper channels to discuss these sort of issues with peers, guidance counselors and parents," Webb said. "So many times when they bring up an issue like this, they're just told to suck it up.

"We want men to be manly, but it's important to speak out when there's something going on. And all boys have problems, regardless of race, religion and ethnicity. We're all in the same game."

Boys Speak Out workshops have been held in other cities, but the GSU meeting was the first time Webb hosted one in his hometown.

"I've been working on this since 2006," said Webb, who is taking postgraduate courses at GSU and picked the school's central location for his event. "I've got my crew —- kids I went to school with —- and friends to help me out."

Webb also recruited members of GSU's Tighter Grip, a campus group that encourages African-American men to stay in school. Corey Purnell, Tighter Grip's founder, led a discussion with boys about stereotypes and peer pressure.

"The idea touched me," said Purnell, whose group also mentors young men at Carver High school. "I came from a background in Chicago where I was going down a bad road and a program like this turned me around. The topics we're covering are issues these kids are dealing with every day."

The students who spent the school day at the workshop were selected by teachers and counselors at Woodward Academy (Webb's alma mater), Atlanta Youth Academy on the east side of town and KIPP Ways Academy in west Atlanta.

"We picked kids based on character, academics and knowing who will benefit," said Ryan Davis, a middle school physical education teacher at Woodward. "The cool thing about this program is that it isn't 75-year-old guys talking to them; these are guys who are young lawyers, business owners, good role models."

Decatur's Jordan Arnold was honest about his expectations.

"I didn't know exactly what to expect and really, I thought it would be boring," said Jordan, 14. "But it's great. We can talk about things we don't have answers for —- stereotypes, the difference between good and bad."

Sixth-grader Kaelin Matthews was excited about attending a workshop just for boys.

"I knew we'd be free to talk about peer pressure, about how we are all prejudiced in our own ways," said Kaelin, of Summerhill. "I want to find positive role models and this is a good place to start."

Information about upcoming Boys Speak Out seminars is online at www.boysspeakout.org or by calling 404-343-1615.