Hale headmaster Dean Dell’Oro links hit TV show Adolescence to the dangers of ‘boy bashing’

The head of one of Perth’s most prestigious private boys schools has been criticised for suggesting a hit TV show about the dangers of the online “manosphere” may be “boy bashing”. Netflix’s Adolescence, which tells the story of a 13-year-old boy who murders a female classmate after being radicalised online, has been hailed as an important resource for young men, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer backing a campaign to show it in schools. But Hale headmaster Dean Dell’Oro used his latest school newsletter to question what message the show might send boys. “There is certainly some hype around the Netflix series called Adolescence with many talking about its educative value for schools and specifically for boys,” he wrote. “I’m interested in how a Netflix series that really is a TV show can also be something designed intentionally for the education of young people. Don’t get me wrong, it’s got some good themes (and outstanding acting), but I have to say it also risks the same (unintended) boy bashing we something see from various commentators. “To be frank, serious acts of violence are rarely rooted in ordinary, loving homes as depicted in the show. It’s probable that boys, if given this video as an educational tool, might therefore conclude the same. What are they to think is our intended message if we give this video to them, then?” At the same time, he said the show made some good points about the need for parents to be more aware of what their kids do online. Hale recently announced a new policy asking parents not to buy Year 7 students a smartwatch or smartphone and to keep them off social media. Mr Dell’Oro appeared to reference it when he wrote: “Hale’s new smart technology and social media policy was never implemented only to protect young boys from harmful online content. For us, the real issue is that screens are relationship blockers.” Private boys schools have been under growing pressure to address a perceived culture of toxic masculinity that thrives online in the so-called “manosphere”. Female teachers have reported an increase in sexual harassment by male students, former private schoolboys have spoken about a prevalent rape culture and there have been scandals, including a Melbourne school where boys ranked female students as “wifeys” or “unrapeable”. Research by Tomorrow Woman, a group that runs school workshops, found nearly one in four high school girls feels unsafe because of male peers influenced by the online “manopshere”, where people like accused rapist Andrew Tate peddle misogyny. Kate Raston is the founder of sex education organisation We Are W/M. Ms Raston said, while she welcomed Hale’s commitment to pastoral care and its social media policy, the risks posed by the “manosphere” should not be downplayed. “We cannot downplay the severity of the issues surrounding the manosphere and toxic masculinity, framing them as secondary concerns in comparison to screen time and online distractions can be troubling,” she said. “As a society, we must be mindful of the language we use, as terms like ‘boy-bashing’ often reflect a broader defensiveness rather than fostering meaningful reflection on how boys are being shaped by the world around them. “This rhetoric mirrors the very arguments pushed by the manosphere, where any critique of harmful male behaviour is framed as an attack on all men, rather than a necessary step toward addressing these deep-rooted issues. “There is still a significant tendency to treat issues like rape culture and toxic masculinity as ‘outliers’ or something that only happens in extreme cases — we just need to look at the current rate of sexual violence in our country to understand that it is not.” Tomorrow Woman chief executive Paige Campbell said what Adolescence offered an opportunity for parents and teachers to start a conversation with young people. “It shows the worst-case scenario of the influence these online groups can have, but we know that lesser acts of misogyny are happening around the country, which can lead to violence and, at worst, this type of tragic outcome,” she said. Asked about his comments Mr Dell’Oro said he was trying to make the point that it was “highly unlikely for an average adolescent boy from a good home to commit an atrocity such as depicted in the show Adolescence”. “As such, many boys watching the show might wonder how it is relevant to them and if they could be viewed as potential perpetrators, which would undo a lot of the good work to counter the manosphere,” he said. He said the school was “very concerned” about online risks to boys and young men. “Hale School is doing more than many schools in this space,” he said. “Dedicated time is set aside, outside of the health curriculum, to discuss these types of issues . . . Hale is also involved in a group of schools working with Monash University to develop a professional learning program to help secondary teachers address the impacts of the manosphere and online misogyny in classrooms.”