Psychologist reveals five 'subtle' signs your child might be radicalised by online incel culture as Netflix's Adolescence leaves parents 'terrified'
- Show stars Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller, 13, accused of murdering a schoolgirl
- READ MORE: How 15-year-old Adolescence star Owen Cooper came from nowhere to terrify viewers in hit new Netflix series
Less than a week after its release, Stephen Graham's latest show Adolescence has skyrocketed straight to the top of Netflix charts while earning its 15-year-old lead, Owen Cooper, widespread acclaim for his flawless acting debut.
The up-and-coming actor from Warrington is 'terrifying' as Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old accused of brutally murdering a schoolgirl, in the critically-acclaimed four-part British series that traces the fallout from his arrest.
Graham, 51, who co-wrote the show and stars in it as Jamie's father, Eddie Miller, told The Independent he wanted to explore the rise of 'incel' or involuntary celibate-fuelled misogyny among young boys, while asking 'who is to blame'.
In its simplest form, an incel or involuntary celibate refers to someone unable to find a romantic or sexual partner despite wanting one.
In recent years, a more radicalised sub-culture of incels has formed online, across a network of blogs and forums collectively known as the 'manosphere', that is characterised by an extreme hatred for women due to intense feelings of sexual frustration.
On Adolescence, Ashley Waters's character DI Luke Bascombe is forced to confront Jamie's exposure to these groups after his own teenage son alerts him to the secret incel codes on social media and the rise of toxic masculinity among his peers.
The show's release comes after a 2022 report found that incel sites in the UK grew from 114,420 monthly visits to 638,505 amid concerns that boys as young as 14 are being sucked into this community.
Against this backdrop, Graham told The Independent is incumbent upon parents to become more 'mindful' of 'external influences' that might be shaping the lives of their children - including access to these 'woman-hating' ideologies in the 'manoshere'.
Less than a week after its release, Stephen Graham's latest show Adolescence has skyrocketed straight to the top of Netflix charts while earning its 15-year-old lead, Owen Cooper (above), widespread acclaim for his flawless acting debut
The up-and-coming actor from Warrington is 'terrifying' as Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old accused of brutally murdering a schoolgirl, in the critically-acclaimed four-part British series that traces the fallout from his arrest
According to London-based psychotherapist Helen Villiers, from Liberation Therapy, radicalisation by incel type groups and influencers such as Andrew Tate will be shown in some very distinctive behaviour'.
In an interview with FEMAIL, she shared five 'subtle' signs parents should look out as well as her advice for trying to counter the narrative being propagated on these groups:
1] An increase in misogynistic comments
Helen advised parents may notice an increase in sexist or misogynistic comments and a deep aversion towards 'feminism or feminist ideas'.
This change might be subtle at first, while highlighting how they may say things like women should 'know their place' ot that the idea of equality is ludicrous.
They may also begin to brand 'any suggestion of equality' as being an example of a 'woke' or 'snowflake' mindset.
2] Disrespect towards women
Watch for any signs of disrespect towards the women and girls in his life - both at home and in school.
Stephen Graham, who co-wrote the show, stars as Jamie's father Eddie Miller as the family grapples with his arrest for fatally stabbing a schoolmate
A teen who may have encountered these extreme beliefs online might also alter his friendship group to accommodate 'those who hold similar views'.
'Or, perhaps if those people aren’t around him, [he might start] making connections online and frequenting forums or chat spaces that promote male supremacy or anti feminism,' Helen said.
3] Trying to become an 'alpha male'
If he's listening to misogynistic online influencers or consuming content created by them, your child might become obsessed with the idea of being an ‘alpha male’, and start focusing on his looks and body - but also those of the women he deems ‘acceptable’ or attractive.
At one point in Adolescence, DI Bascombe highlights Jaime's aggressive comments under photographs of scantily-clad and conventionally good-looking women during a tense interrogation.
Helen highlighted that boys like Jaime's character may be 'judgemental or critical of different body types that are not in keeping with social expectations' such as peopl ewho aren’t thin, or have a stereotypically ‘female’ appearance.
She also noted that an obsession with wealth - including both becoming wealthy and appearing wealthy - might be a sign of someething more sinister.
'If there’s a sudden focus on buying designer brands, and wealth status symbols it may be a sign that he’s embracing the "alpha male" culture,' she explained.
According to London-based psychotherapist Helen Villiers, from Liberation Therapy, radicalisation by incel type groups and influencers such as Andrew Tate will be shown in some very distinctive behaviour'
4] A lack of empathy
If your child starts hiding his emotions, or being critical and judgemental of people that display kindness or empathy, it might be time to intervene.
'Whilst it’s somewhat normal for teenagers to be self-centred and self-serving, a lack of empathy is not typical towards peers or friends - although it might be more typical to close family members for a short period of their teenage years,' she said.
5] Changing language patterns
Another signal your child might be influenced by incel culture lies in their changing language patterns.
If you notice an uptick in their use of words such ‘alpha male’, ’sigma male’, ’top G’ or ‘beta male’ - as well as references towards incel beliefs - it could indicate he is 'being exposed to this radicalisation'.
Helen warned: 'He will likely be very defensive if challenged on these ideologies, often being dismissive and using deflection or minimisation tactics to shut the conversation down.'
He may also talk about those who contradict his opinions as being ’triggered’ or ‘brainwashed’, she added.
In an interview with FEMAIL, she shared five 'subtle' signs parents should look out as well as her advice for trying to counter the narrative being propagated on these groups
If you fear your child has found himself in these dangerous online spaces, the key is to challenge their thinking while validating their feelings, according to Helen.
'Having open, curiosity based discussions is vital to keep communication open and offering contradictory ideas or concepts as part of those discussions will also be helpful,' she said.
It's crucial not to appear hypercritical of these ideas while creating a safe space for discussion while encouraging critical thinking, Helen continued.
'Asking pertinent questions such as "Why do you think Andrew Tate gets banned from platforms so often’, or "It’s an interesting idea, do you think that all men and women fit into those categories?" or even "What if you didn’t fit into one of those categories, what would that mean?"
'Validate his feelings around masculinity and how hard it is to cope with the pressures of it,' Helen added.
