Netflix drama Adolescence provokes thoughts over real life child safety

Concerns are being voiced by some parents about online safety for young people – notably boys and young men – reflected in the recent television series Adolescence, says a councillor.

Coun Amanda Parsons-Hulse described the Netflix-produced psychological crime drama series as “powerful” and she had been contacted by parents concerned about the risk of similar issues in real life.

“It raises a lot of very powerful issues on online safety and knife crime and it just demonstrates that an outwardly normal but inwardly self-loathing and very susceptible young person can just be radicalised,” she said.

Coun Parsons-Hulse (Lib Dem, Warley) said she had dealt with casework from parents concerned about their teenage child rarely leaving their room and knowing they were online.

The TV series talked about issues such as male rage, masculine toxicity, online misogyny and involuntary celibacy as it was becoming clear young boys were particularly more at risk, she said.

Coun Parsons-Hulse, asking her question at a meeting of the full Calderdale Council, asked Cabinet members for reassurance about what was doing to combat these risks, which the Government had also talked about.

“I’d like to be able to go back to these parents and say we’ve got a plan,” she said.

Cabinet member for Children and Young People’s Services, Coun Adam Wilkinson, said he had watched the drama and found it “incredibly moving”.

“I think it raised a whole raft of really important and quite complex issues,” he said.

Coun Wilkinson (Lab, Sowerby Bridge) welcomed the fact PM Keir Starmer had met with the programme makers and suggested it should be shown in schools.

In terms of what Calderdale was doing, Cabinet members would be looking to implement online safety recommendations made by councillors in a recent scrutiny review.

“Anything we can do to support our children and young people who are going through these sorts of issues and being influenced by these people on social media, I think we need to do all we can,” he said.

For more news visit www.halifaxcourier.co.uk