Andrew Tate, red pill, incel—once “harmless” internet terms, yet these buzzwords now echo through school hallways, and while they may seem harmless at first, their presence as central themes in Netflix’s highly praised series Adolescence raises an unsettling question: Are we really doing enough to keep boys safe?
By Zahra Jawad.
When watching the show, it is only natural to reflect upon the question posited in the former. In an age where children’s exposure to the internet remains widely unchecked, it’s imperative that those who work with children rethink traditional methods of safeguarding.
Dr Roshelle Ramkisson, an expert in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, said: “Measures to support and safeguard need to be more than reactive” stressing the importance of equipping children with the emotional building blocks to deal with influences, thoughts and emotions when navigating peer relationships and communication, especially in digital spaces.
Many professionals and parents dealing with children would have the natural response to tighten surveillance and implement measures to restrict smartphone and internet use.
Yet these measures only act like a plaster being put on a bullet wound.
Comment by Dr JS Bamrah CBE adds on to what Dr Ramkisson says, expressing concern with the social norms expected of young boys. He emphasizes that the environment of these evolving digital spaces, alongside puberty, compounds the stresses of growing up. Bamrah states:
“It is imperative that parents, social circles, schools and health service providers focus on better education and support around all these issues, as catching them early as these will prevent what could be tragic outcomes for young and adolescent boys of today’s generation.”
This concern was shared with the Designated Safeguarding Lead at Queen’s School, Bushey, Michael Taylor, who understands the severity of this situation. He too worries about the notion of young boys trying to adopt this pseudo sense of macho bravado, calling it pervasive.
Members of staff at Queen’s School have urgently intended to outline a roadmap that will challenge these norms of toxic masculinity, implementing more proactive discussions surrounding gender roles and mental health within the school’s Lifelong Learning curriculum.
Members of staff at the school have been urged to watch the nail-biting drama as it highlights themes which are very much relevant within schools’ spaces.
Those tasked with safeguarding young people need to equip themselves with the cultural fluency to spot cause for concern among children and their peers, as often cause for concern is not loud or obvious. In the show, we see this ignorance being played out as police couldn’t figure out that Jamie was being bullied online, as they failed to decrypt the meaning of certain slang, emojis and cultural references, prompting him with the frustration to carry out the grievous murder of his schoolmate.
This presents a dire need to reform measures of safeguarding, urging legislators to implement more proactive approaches to safeguarding, especially in the digital space.
We see the consequences of neglect depicted in the show when viewing Christine Tremarco’s performance as Jamie’s mother in the final episode.
She laments the long-isolated hours Jamie spent on the internet prior to the murder, denoting the passive role she played as a parent. She holds onto the regret that “she should’ve done better.”
The powerful performance showcases that we must have honest conversations surrounding the safety of children under our care, opening broader discussions surrounding gender norms, masculinity and radicalisation, to ensure that tragedies like these never occur outside fiction.
