Fears for ADOLESCENCE

A new Netflix series sheds light on a concerning and growing movement to groom boys to hate women and girls

- Donna Fleming

It's harrowing viewing. A 13-year-old boy is arrested for the murder of a female classmate. His shocked parents try to work out where they went wrong raising him. Police look for answers to why a smart kid from a seemingly good family has done something so horrific. Revelations surface about boys being radicalised online to objectify and hate girls.

Netflix TV series Adolescence covers all this and more in four gripping episodes that have made it one of the most-watched shows in the world. The British programme also appears to be one of the most discussed TV series in recent times, trending on social media and becoming a hot topic of conversation in homes and workplaces around the globe.

It’s great that a fictional show has people talking about subjects like misogyny and gender-based violence, says Dr Claire Meehan, a senior lecturer in criminology at the University of Auckland.