Celebrate Adolescence's Emmy win - but don't forget the message at its core

It's also heartening for everyone concerned about misogyny, knife crime, and online radicalisation. The British series focused on 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Cooper), who was arrested on suspicion of the murder of a girl, Katie Leonard (Emilia Holliday), the role of social media and masculinity, and the impact of this on him, his and her families, and the community.

The renewed publicity from the Emmys will likely result in increased attention to the issues. This also comes after the murder of Charlie Kirk in the US and the far-right 'Unite the Kingdom' rally in the UK, which has also led to increased concern about and attention on extremism, online radicalisation, and violence.

Despite all the good the series has done for raising these issues, it is not without its problems. These are ones that, ironically, are compounded by such attention and use.

The first problem is that sexism and misogyny are framed as the product of extreme online ecosystems, ideologies, actors, and actions in ways that distract from systemic and structural issues and inequalities that women and girls face every day, and are in no doubt connected to the more extreme forms. Likewise, the focus on social media and wider online ecosystems can often distract from mainstream and sanctioned sexism and misogyny in politics, media and the public sphere.

The second problem is that the series, its story, and representation of the issues centre on the young man, his vulnerability to radicalisation, and his need for empathy, understanding, and support, as well as his relationship with his father. These are important issues, but it does seem curious and problematic to focus on and empathise with the male perpetrator in a story about misogyny and the murder of a young girl. Even the praise and awards go to men. The centring of male grievance can also legitimise the very issues that justify hate and violence, and which extremists, including the far right, exploit.

The focus on an adolescent is, though, also an important part of understanding the issue of misogyny and radicalisation, particularly considering how they may be targeted and sucked in at a vulnerable age and developmental stage. It is also true that adults commit most Incel attacks and wider violence against women and girls. We indeed want to intervene early, but that only works if we also address misogyny and sexism, as well as extremism and radicalisation, in adults and in the mainstream too.

You may think, 'But surely this series is only one story among many.' That is also true and I do not want to be too critical of what was a great series and miss an opportunity to highlight and address misogyny. Yet, it is the only one receiving attention, and it has absorbed so much of it that it dominates discussion at the highest levels and is the main way we see and talk about the issue. This has serious implications for policy, education, safety and equality.

This Emmy win is not just an opportunity to highlight the issues raised in Adolescence. Still, its limitations and implications, as well as the need for other stories and approaches to sexism and misogyny as we discuss and debate, make policy and create resources for education and support. For that, we also need informed research from victims and experts, particularly from women and girls.

However, even if we are to address the challenges faced by young men, as many are calling for in the wake of the series, and I have been critical of as the focus, we need educators, social workers, and the wider NHS to be better informed and resourced, particularly after over a decade of cuts.

____________________

Aaron Winter is a Professor of Sociology and Director of Centre for Alternatives to Social and Economic Inequalities at Lancaster University.

LBC Opinion provides a platform for diverse opinions on current affairs and matters of public interest.

The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official LBC position.

To contact us email opinion@lbc.co.uk