Help parents support children to avoid ‘Adolescence’ epidemic

16 to 25-year-olds are the most at risk of domestic abuse, and harassment is common in London’s schools.¹ The recent Netflix drama ‘Adolescence’ painted a shocking portrait of a 13-year-old male, radicalised by misogyny online.

Sexual harassment in schools has become ‘commonplace’, with 90 per cent of girls and 50 per cent of boys reporting that they have received explicit pictures or videos of things that they did not want to see.²

The London Assembly Police and Crime Committee has today published its report – ‘A New Era’: The impact of violence against women and girls (VAWG) on young people – calling on the Mayor to commission a toolkit to help parents teach their children about healthy relationships.

Preventative education is the most important tool for tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) as it challenges the harmful and misogynistic attitudes that sit behind the current epidemic in violence.

Further evidence provided to the Committee highlighted the importance of championing positive male role models to combat the misogynistic views spread online.

Key recommendations from the report include:

• The Mayor should commission a Parent’s Toolkit to support them in teaching their children about healthy relationships from a young age, based on the model for the existing School’s Toolkit. The Mayor should commission this by 31 December 2025.
• Within the next year, the Mayor should undertake an information campaign uplifting and championing relatable and ‘everyday’ positive male role models, as a counter narrative to the harmful misogynistic content offered by some online influencers
• As part of his renewed VAWG strategy, the Mayor should publish a fully costed and multi-year financial plan for how he will support VAWG sector organisations to deliver services over the next three years. This should be published by 31 December 2025.

Susan Hall AM, Chairman of the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee, said:

“The picture of violence against women and girls in London is stark. In fact, during our investigation, it was described to us as “endemic”. 

“In the 12 months to the end of January 2025, reported sexual offences in London increased by 7.5 per cent and rape increased by 2.3 per cent, compared to the previous 12 months.

“These horrifying statistics highlight the urgency with which action must be taken by the Mayor to ensure our young people are taught from a young age the importance of healthy relationships.

“Combating online hate across social media channels and from online influencers and promoting positive male role models to our young boys are essential.

“But parents must be provided with all of the information. We heard of the generational divide between parents and their children, and helping parents understand exactly what their children have access to on their phones can make a huge difference.

“The Mayor has done a lot of work on violence against women and girls but from our investigation we know that much more needs to be done. Implementing our recommendations would help prevent this issue from spiralling out of control.”