Netflix Adolescence - a window into our latest safeguarding challenge

Useful to know: Periodic Table of Sinister Emojis

Many of you, and indeed many of our staff have been ‘enjoying’, if that is the correct description, the recently released Netflix mini series Adolescence. Back in early February of this year, when our staff safeguarding training focused on the subculture that underpins this drama, many of our colleagues had little or no knowledge of the ‘manosphere’, incel culture and the language used by members of this ‘community’. 

What started as a relatively insignificant online community of lonely individuals, has grown into an online presence whose influence is so toxic that it has now come to be part of every teacher’s legal Prevent duty; namely to identify young people at risk of radicalisation and seek formal support for them through the Government’s Prevent strategy. Originally, Prevent’s remit was an ‘anti-terrorist’ agenda. The Incel Community is a haven for extremist misogyny, and the group has officially been identified as a risk to women and girls, to gender relations, and by association to society as a whole. So severe is the threat considered to be that Prevent has been widened to include it.

The group’s world view is an extreme form of the rhetoric promoted by Andrew Tate, and encourages members to take decisive action to redress perceived gender inequalities. Members believe they are entitled to the romantic attentions of women of their choosing, and that their role is to ‘re-educate’ women to be financially and emotionally dependent upon the men in their lives.

The vernacular around Incel membership is wide, and whilst this is not a plug for Adolescence, watching the drama will give you a good overview of the language to look out for. If you overhear your teenager using language such as ‘pilling (red, blue or black pills being the choices) or making references to Chad, Stacey, Becky or ‘normies’, in the absence of having a friend of this name, this would be the time for a conversation. Aside from the sexual dynamic within this group, given that many members have significant mental health issues, self harm and suicidal ideation is rife. Associated language includes ‘roping’ and LDAR.

If you have any concerns at all that a young person may be associating with this culture, please contact the school for support and advice.