Time to show our sons masculinity need not be toxic

‘We should ask why such views are gaining traction among boys’

- Patrick O'Flynn

THE NETFLIX series Adolescence has galvanised the nation more viscerally than any TV since Cathy drama Come Home highlighted the family-shattering impact of homelessness. Just like that drama did in the mid1960s, Adolescence has already prompted questions in Parliament. Its subject matter is a newer scourge: the radicalisation of teenage boys, leading to them committing savage acts of violence, especially against girls.

Its central character is a 13-year-old boy growing up in a normal, loving family. His parents are unable to comprehend his arrest by an armed police unit-on suspicion of murder.

The quality of the script and acting, especially from Stephen Graham as everyman father Eddie and Owen Cooper as his son Jamie, has left millions of viewers captivated. Many parents have found themselves thinking afresh about what their children watch and read online.

The Prime Minister revealed his family have made time to watch the series. Keir Starmer told MPs this week: "At home, we are watching Adolescence.

I've got a 16-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl, and it's a very good drama to watch.

"The violence carried out by young men, influenced by what they see online, is a real problem. It's abhorrent and we have to tackle it."