Netflix Series -Adolescence: Domestic Abuse Perpetuated Against Women
Written by Adanna Ezechukwu
Note: This article will include themes such as domestic abuse, misogyny and toxic masculinity.
Netflix’s latest limited series, Adolescence, is a raw and unsettling portrayal of youth crime, peer influence, and the unchecked forces of toxic masculinity. The show doesn’t just tell a story—it holds up a mirror to the social structures that shape young boys into perpetrators of violence, particularly against women.
At its core, Adolescence is about a group of teenage boys navigating a world that glorifies dominance and aggression. What begins as minor delinquency escalates into something far darker, exposing how young men—particularly those lacking strong, positive role models—are easily drawn into cycles of crime. The series doesn’t ask for sympathy for its characters, but it does demand that we examine the factors that create them.
Crime and Young Boys: A Systemic Issue
Adolescence highlights an uncomfortable reality: crime among young boys isn’t just about individual choices. It’s about culture, socialisation, and an environment that rewards recklessness over emotional intelligence. These boys aren’t born violent—they are taught, encouraged, and sometimes forced into it.
Many of the characters in Adolescence come from fractured homes, communities where crime is normalised, and schools that fail to intervene. Their role models are often men who equate respect with fear, teaching them that power comes through violence. The show painfully illustrates how, without guidance, young boys can quickly become statistics—falling into gang culture, criminal behaviour, and ultimately, the prison system.
Toxic Masculinity: The Silent Teacher
One of the most chilling aspects of Adolescence is how it portrays toxic masculinity as an unspoken curriculum for boys. The pressure to be “tough,” to never show weakness, and to dominate others—especially women—runs through every interaction. In many ways, the boys in the series are trapped; they either conform to these ideals or risk becoming victims themselves.
There is a particularly harrowing scene where a character is humiliated for showing compassion. The message is clear: empathy is a liability. This conditioning erodes any chance for healthy emotional development, making violence not just an option but an expectation.
Misogyny: The First Victim of Male Violence
As the series unfolds, it becomes evident that the first casualty of these boys’ unchecked aggression is women. The female characters in Adolescence are constantly subjected to harassment, belittlement, and in some cases, outright violence. Their experiences reflect real-life statistics—where violent crime, particularly sexual violence, disproportionately affects women and is often perpetrated by young men raised in environments of toxic masculinity.
The series doesn’t shy away from this uncomfortable truth. It forces viewers to confront the ways misogyny is embedded in male bonding. Women aren’t just victims of these boys’ violence; they are also used as tools for male validation. Girls are treated as prizes to be won, conquests to be shared, or outlets for rage. And when they resist, the consequences are brutal.
What Adolescence Forces Us to Ask
The brilliance of Adolescence lies in its ability to ask difficult questions:
How do we intervene before young boys turn to crime?
How do we dismantle the culture of toxic masculinity that breeds violence?
How do we hold not just individuals, but entire systems accountable for fostering misogyny?
The show doesn’t provide easy answers, nor does it excuse the actions of its characters. But it does force us to acknowledge that the crisis of youth violence, male aggression, and misogyny isn’t a problem of the few—it’s a failure of society as a whole.
Final Thoughts
Adolescence is more than a crime drama. It’s a social indictment. It reminds us that the path to violence starts early, shaped by expectations that boys must be dominant, unfeeling, and entitled to power over others—especially women. And until we address these toxic narratives at their root, the cycle will continue.
If nothing else, Adolescence leaves us with a stark warning: the boys of today will shape the world of tomorrow. The question is, what kind of men will they become?
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