Students will be able to watch hit drama Adolescence after Netflix today made it free to all secondary schools across the country.
Keir Starmer met with the creators of the crime drama, which follows the story of a teen accused of murder, to discuss how to prevent young boys being dragged into a “whirlpool of hatred and misogyny”. The PM invited co-writer Jack Thorne and producer Jo Johnson to Downing Street as well as charities and young people, who shared their experience of becoming immersed in harmful online content.
The PM, who watched the drama with his kids, said the show “hit home hard”. After years spent working as the Director of Public Prosecutions, he has seen the devastation that misogyny and violence leaves behind, and how it tears through families and communities.
He has backed a move by Netflix to make the drama free to all secondary schools across the country through the Into Film+ schools streaming service. It is hoped the series will help students better understand the impact of misogyny, dangers of online radicalisation and the importance of healthy relationships.
“As a father, watching this show with my teenage son and daughter, I can tell you – it hit home hard,” the PM said. “It’s an important initiative to encourage as many pupils as possible to watch the show. As I see from my own children, openly talking about changes in how they communicate, the content they’re seeing, and exploring the conversations they’re having with their peers is vital if we are to properly support them in navigating contemporary challenges, and deal with malign influences.
“This isn’t a challenge politicians can simply legislate for. Believe me, if I could pull a lever to solve it, I would. Only by listening and learning from the experiences of young people and charities can we tackle the issues this groundbreaking show raises.” Should Adolescence be shown in schools? Take our poll below. If you can’t see it, click here
Charities invited to Downing Street include the NSPCC, Movember, Beyond Quality, Children’s Society as well as a young person. The PM was also joined by Netflix and Tender charity who have provided resources and guides for parents, carers and teachers on the issues explored in Adolescence, as well as Into Film, the charity enabling the free viewing in schools via its Into Film+ schools streaming service.
Jack Thorne, Adolescence Co-Writer, said: “We made this show to provoke a conversation. We wanted to pose the question – how do we help stop this growing crisis. So to have the opportunity to take this into schools is beyond our expectations. We hope it’ll lead to teachers talking to the students, but what we really hope is it’ll lead to students talking amongst themselves.”
Maria Neophytou, NSPCC Director of Strategy & Knowledge, said: “The online world is being polluted by harmful and misogynistic content which is having a direct impact on the development of young people’s thinking and behaviours. This cannot be allowed to continue. It is vital young people have access to high-quality, age-appropriate lessons in school about healthy relationships and understand why misogyny is so harmful and has no place in our society. And that parents have guidance and support around how to keep their children safe online. But we can’t expect teachers and parents to do all the heavy lifting.
“Tech companies must now put the wellbeing of children first, as demanded by the Online Safety Act. They have a responsibility to ensure their platforms and sites are safe by design for young users: that age limits are enforced, that children’s privacy is respected, that algorithms are not targeting and bombarding them with harmful content, and that there are clear and simple ways for young users to complain about what they are experiencing online and seek support.”
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Anne Mensah, Netflix VP UK Content, said: “Adolescence has captured the national mood, sparking important conversations and helping articulate the pressures young people and parents face in today’s society. We’re incredibly proud of the impact the show has made, and are delighted to be able to offer it to all schools across the UK through Into Film+.”
The Government has taken action to ensure it is protecting children from the issues raised in the series. The Online Safety Act’s illegal content duties have come into force targeting the most harmful material including extreme pornography. From the summer, platforms will also have to ensure children have an age-appropriate experience online preventing them from seeing dangerous content which includes abusive and hateful misogyny and violence.
The Government is also reviewing the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance, following a consultation that closed last summer. It is closely looking at the consultation responses, engaging with stakeholders and considering the relevant evidence before setting out next steps to take the guidance forward.
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