PM identifies ‘real problem’ after watching Stephen Graham drama

Netflix series Adolescence has taken the UK by storm and follows Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old boy arrested on suspicion of murder.

Transcript

00:00The Prime Minister said there was a need to tackle the emerging and growing problem raised

00:05by new TV drama Adolescence. The UK has been gripped by the Netflix drama which tells the

00:10story of a seemingly average 13-year-old boy who's arrested under suspicion of murder.

00:15The themes around violence against women and girls and the influence of social media are

00:20central to the dramatic tension and have prompted a strong public reaction. These issues were

00:25addressed at PMQs when Knowsley MP Annalise Midgley asked a question about the impact

00:30of the show, saying this series by Knowsley's own Stephen Graham and Christine Chamarco

00:35highlights online male radicalisation and violence against girls. The creators of the

00:40show are calling for screenings in parliaments and schools to spark change, so will the Prime

00:45Minister back this campaign to counter toxic misogyny early and give young men the role

00:50models they deserve? Responding to Ms Midgley, the PM said he had been watching the drama,

00:55at home with his teenage children, saying this violence carried out by young men influenced

01:00by what they see online is a real problem. It's abhorrent and we have to tackle it. He

01:05added the government was taking steps such as putting in specialist rape and sexual offences

01:10teams in police forces across the country dealing with 999 calls. However, he said the

01:15issues raised in Adolescence were a matter of culture, which he said it's important across

01:20the whole house that we tackle this emerging and growing problem. Earlier this year, the

01:25femicide census was published with data showing Merseyside has the highest rate for femicide

01:30in the whole of the UK, with Knowsley identified as the worst area in the country. As a result,

01:36it's been recommended Merseyside should be the first area in the country to conduct femicide

01:40reviews where learning from all femicides is subject to scrutiny.