A Therapist's Reflection: The Series 'Adolescence'
- Jasmine Cortazzi
- May 23
- 8 min read
Why is the series ‘Adolescence’ disturbing?
‘Adolescence ‘is disturbing because the main character, 13-year-old Jamie Miller, violently stabs and kills a schoolgirl, and yet, despite this horrific crime, the audience is encouraged to feel sympathy for him. The juxtaposition of criminal and child, persecutor and victim make for very uncomfortable, but fascinating viewing. We learn very little about the victim, Katie, only that she is popular, Jamie fancies her, and that she is bullying him online. In contrast, the focus is on Jamie - the murderer, and his family’s ordeal at the police station, and in the community. As the film continues, we learn that Jamie is a victim of public mockery and humiliation at school and online. An outsider, Jamie is extremely vulnerable to patriarchal and misogynist influences on the ‘manosphere’ (an online space for men promoting masculinity.[1]). Therefore, we have a complex response to Jamie; he is both a criminal and a victim.
Child killers
Watching ‘Adolescence’, I was struck by the wide-eyed fear and child vulnerability of Jamie in the police station. Desperate to cling on to the security of his father, he will not admit the truth that he has stabbed a young girl to death. Even as the street camera footage of the murder is replayed to Jamie, he refuses to admit responsibility - probably because he is terrified that his life will now change irrevocably. He will be removed from his home, his family, and his school, and be placed in a young offender’s institution. Consequently, there is likely to be even more danger of bullying, learning from criminals, and he is at risk of following a pattern of repeated crime and punishment. Clearly, rehabilitation will be offered to him, but will he have the maturity to change his behaviour or is he so damaged that he will be forever a danger to society? Legally the age of criminal responsibility is 10 years, so Jamie is expected to know the consequences of taking another human life and face the justice system.
It is troubling that Jamie’s horrifying stabbing of Katie brings to mind other real-life child killers. For example, 10-year-olds Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, who abducted, tortured, and killed an innocent toddler, Jamie Bulger, aged 2, in 1993. And also, the more recent stabbing of Brianna Ghey in 2023 by two 15-year-old ‘friends’ of hers - Scarlett Jensen and Eddie Ratcliffe. Watching the series ‘Adolescence’ and Jamie’s journey feels jarring as we question what could have led a child to commit such a terrible crime?
Jamie as an outsider vulnerable to the manosphere.
Even before the murder, Jamie is an outsider and friends with others who do not fit in and who are not popular. He wants to ask out a female classmate, but his approaches are dismissed, and he is called an ‘incel’ (an involuntary celibate - a term used on the manosphere [2] and is humiliated publicly at school and online. This leaves him feeling even more alone, and thus he finds solace in the manosphere. Maybe this is where he is indoctrinated into extremist views which present men as victims, and women to blame for men’s lack of romantic success with them. Unfortunately, there have been cases of violence committed, both against women and men, by those embracing these views - and such people often suffer from self-hatred. For example, Jake Davison who in 2021 shot his mother and six other people, before shooting himself.[3] What kind of information is found on the manosphere? One idea is that 80 % of women will go for 20% of the most attractive alpha men, leaving most men (betas) effectively ‘incels’ [4]. The manosphere offers advice from ‘pick up artists’ about how to manipulate or trick women into having sex with them [2]. Further, the manosphere uses misogynistic language which not only dehumanises women, but perpetuates a myth that women are deserving and want violence to be exerted against them.[5]
In theory, the manosphere could offer men support and solace at a very concerning time. Both men and women face mental health challenges today. Suffering is suffering - no matter who is suffering and irrespective of gender. However, it is well-known that suicide in men is three times more common than suicide in women, and the single biggest killer in men under the age of 45.[6]
Therefore, having an in-person space ideally for men to speak and process depression, loneliness, and mental health issues for men could be beneficial. Moreover, there has been a significant rise in charities such as Andy’s Man Club, aiming to provide safe spaces for men in which to share their feelings and to provide social support face to face. Furthermore, the manosphere has proved to be popular at a time when many traditionally masculine jobs in the steel, shipping, mining, and manufacturing have been lost in the UK [7]. In addition, there is a perception that great emphasis has been placed on feminism and rights for the LGBTQ + community at the apparent detriment of men [8].
As a backlash to the apparent focus on women’s and LGBTQ + rights, the manosphere promotes the idea that men are dominant, and that women’s, and trans’ people’s rights, amongst other minority groups, are to be subordinated to men’s rights. This has serious consequences.
For example, 1 in 4 women have been raped by men who feel that they are entitled to a woman’s body and treat women as if they have a right to sex - without always establishing a woman’s consent first.[9] This is damaging to both men and women. Men who behave in this way are putting themselves at risk of having criminal proceedings brought against them for sexual assault, men who behave in this aggressive way also live with their conscience and can end up hating themselves. Moreover, many women today are seeing themselves through a distorted, patriarchal male lens - only valuing themselves for their looks and their ability to attract men. Some women are also blaming themselves for assaults when they have been manipulated or overpowered and are not responsible for being attacked.
It could be argued that in response to the rise of the manosphere, many women feel that some men are blind to their historical privilege. For example, prior to 1992 a man could legally rape his wife because the law considered that in agreeing to marry her husband, the wife had given her ongoing consent to sex.[10] On a different front, there is still a significant gender pay gap in the UK, with the BBC there is a 9% pay gap between men and women.[11]
Returning to Jamie’s situation, he clearly felt alone and turned to the influence of the manosphere rather than his parents, teachers or other professionals who could have guided him in a different direction.
Authority figures: school, Jamie’s father and the police
In the series, we learn about authority figures - adults who might have been able to connect more with Jamie and made him feel less of an outsider.
The teachers at Jamie’s school could have had the potential to connect with him, but the teachers in the film seem powerless to exert significant change in terms of the children’s behaviour and attitudes. Instead, school appears to be a place of mockery, bullying and violence. Some individual teachers are shown to be endeavouring to reach and support their pupils, but teachers generally appear to be disregarded and ignored and are therefore ineffectual in being able to stop bullying and isolation. Some of the pupils appear unruly and out of control; school does not seem to be a safe space in the series.
Moreover, although Jamie has loving and supportive parents, but there are times when he feels like an outsider and disconnected from his father Eddie, especially. Eddie is an alpha male in some ways in his work, his passion for football, in the respect he commands from his community, as well as being a loving husband, and father who is supportive of his family. However, Jamie feels totally ashamed when he fails at a football match and appears to embarrass his dad - who turns his face away from Jamie when Jamie is most vulnerable, resulting in Jamie feeling even more disconnected and isolated.
Another authority figure, the police Inspector, Luke Bascombe is publicly jeered in a classroom - when the pupils snort like pigs - when he visits Jamie’s school to speak to the pupils as part of his police investigation. Clearly, there is an obvious generational void of understanding between parents and children when it comes to social media. This is shown when Inspector Luke Bascombe’s son teaches his dad what the emojis used to humiliate Jamie mean (as Luke had no idea what they meant). The emojis used to mock Jamie insult his masculinity and belittle him - further isolating him.
By the time Jamie meets the last authority figure - Dr Briony Ariston - a professional female child psychologist, Jamie is at a young offender’s unit. During his interview with the psychologist, Jamie’s behaviour switches between being childlike and wanting to be liked and likeable, to behaving in an aggressive, intimidating, hostile, and misogynistic way. Jamie tries to exert control over the interview in a way which is disturbing, reminding the viewers of the reason why he has been detained - the stabbed a thirteen-year-old girl.
What can be done to support boys and young men and stop them from being radicalised and victims of the ‘manosphere’?
Countering isolation and providing safe spaces for boys to ask questions and get support at difficult times in their lives is vital. Teenagers need the full presence and attention of authority figures, such as parents, teachers, and therapists and to be able to talk about how they feel and share what they are experiencing. Finding ways to connect with young men face to face is vital. Often, a walk outside in nature can provide an easier setting for boys and men to be open about their feelings and struggles.
Challenging simplistic ideas about alpha males versus beta males, and women as being reduced to objects of male desire is vital. How can this be achieved? Asking open questions could enable topics around gender and identity to be seen in more nuanced and complex ways. Boys need to have access to role models who can show that men and women often play a multitude of overlapping roles at work, and in a family. There could be more emphasis striving to be the best person you can be in life by building character in adversity. Finding beneficial ways to raise self-esteem also needs to be a high priority. Moreover, an open discussion on what builds sustainable and fulfilling romantic relationships is vital. We also need to model and teach how to express and manage conflict safely for both men and women. Maybe, in the series, if Jamie had been better supported by adults with his isolation, bullying, anger and disappointment, Katie would have still been alive.
Bibliography
Aiston, J., Koller, V. Krendel, A.,McGlashan, M. (2023) ‘Misogynist language online can escalate to offline violence against women and girls’ Birmingham City University [EOV0019] https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/124930/pdf/[Accessed 18.05.2025]
Calcea, N. (2023) ‘What is the gender pay gap where you work?’ BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65207049 [Accessed 18.05.2025]
Grainseir, S. (2018) ‘Irish Legal Heritage: Marital Rape’ Irish Legal News https://www.irishlegal.com/articles/irish-legal-heritage-marital-rape [Accessed 18.05.2025]
Karr, J. (2023) Plymouth shootings: Why was Jake Davison allowed a gun? BBC News Devonhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-64616215 [18.05.2025]
Kirk-Wade, E. (2025) Suicide Statistics House of Commons Library https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7749/CBP-7749.pdf
[Accessed 18.05.2025]
McCullough, S. (2023) ‘Online misogyny: the manosphere’ Canadian Museum for Human Rights https://humanrights.ca/author/steve-mccullough [Accessed 18.05.2025]
Mussen, M (2025) ‘What is the 80/20 rule from Netflix’s Adolescence and how does it relate to incels?’ The Standard. https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/80-20-rule-what-is-incel-adolescence-b1217386.html [Accessed 18.05.2025]
Rape Crisis using data from the ONS (2023),https://rcew.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media/documents/Rape_and_sexual_assault_statistics_sources_April_2025.pdf[Accessed 18.05.2025]
Comentarios