Toxic Masculinity, Aggression, and the Netflix Series Adolescence: An A-Level Psychology Perspective

In today's digital world, media has a profound impact on how young people understand gender roles, aggression, and identity. One striking example is the Netflix crime drama Adolescence, which follows 13-year-old Jamie Miller after his arrest for the murder of his classmate, Katie. The series explores the psychological aftermath of this crime on Jamie, his family, and the wider community. Beyond its gripping narrative, Adolescence raises important questions about toxic masculinity, aggression, and the social pressures that shape young men's behaviour.

For A-Level Psychology students, Adolescence offers a compelling case study that links to key topics, including social influence, aggression, and developmental psychology. This think piece will explore how these themes connect to psychological theory and research.

Image Courtesy of Adolescence, Netflix

What is Toxic Masculinity?

Toxic masculinity refers to a set of cultural expectations that promote dominance, aggression, and emotional suppression in men. While masculinity itself is not inherently harmful, toxic masculinity encourages behaviours such as violence, control, and emotional detachment, leading to destructive consequences for individuals and society. In Adolescence, Jamie is surrounded by an environment that subtly reinforces these ideals. The pressures to "be tough" and avoid vulnerability may contribute to the choices he makes before and after the crime. His interactions with peers, authority figures, and online spaces all play a role in shaping his understanding of masculinity.

The Psychology of Aggression: Why Do People Become Violent?

One of the central questions in Adolescence is whether Jamie's actions were the result of personal choice, environmental influences, or psychological factors. Several A-Level Psychology theories help explain aggression:

Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1977)

Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory (SLT) suggests that individuals learn aggressive behaviours by observing and imitating role models. If a child grows up in an environment where aggression is normalised—whether through family, media, or peer interactions—they are more likely to adopt aggressive responses to conflict.

In Adolescence, Jamie’s social environment likely influenced his behaviour. The series highlights the role of online influencers who perpetuate toxic masculine ideals, such as figures in the manosphere. In a digital age where social media status and wealth are highly sought after, these influencers project power and dominance, reinforcing harmful ideas about masculinity.

Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis (Dollard et al., 1939)

This theory proposes that aggression arises when individuals experience frustration in achieving their goals. For young people who feel powerless or rejected—like many who gravitate toward toxic online communities—this frustration can sometimes manifest as violence.

Jamie’s struggles with rejection, isolation, and a desire for romantic relationships are recurring themes in the series. There is also reference to the incel ideology that 80% of women are attracted to 20% of men. This belief system reinforces Jamie’s feelings of inadequacy, frustration, and entitlement to female attention. Before being murdered, Katie is also described as rejecting Jamie, potentially exacerbating these emotions and contributing to his actions.

Freud’s Psychoanalytic Perspective on Toxic Masculinity

Sigmund Freud’s theory of personality suggests that unconscious conflicts within the id, ego, and superego shape behaviour. In the context of Adolescence, Freud’s ideas provide another lens through which to understand Jamie’s actions.

• The Id: Represents primal desires, including aggression and dominance. If Jamie acted impulsively, his id may have overpowered his ego’s ability to regulate his emotions.

• The Ego: Mediates between desires and reality. If Jamie struggled to control his emotions or lacked the skills to resolve conflicts healthily, his ego may have failed to manage his aggressive impulses.

• The Superego: Represents internalised social norms. If Jamie internalised toxic masculine ideals (e.g., "men must be dominant"), his superego might have reinforced harmful behaviours.

  
  

Freud’s concept of the Oedipus complex also relates to masculinity and aggression. If a young boy struggles with authority figures or fails to develop a healthy male identity, he may overcompensate by displaying exaggerated masculine traits, such as aggression.

Eddie Miller: A Case Study of Generational Toxic Masculinity

Jamie’s father, Eddie Miller, embodies elements of toxic masculinity, even if he is unaware of it. Throughout the series, Eddie exhibits aggressive behaviour, including shouting and swearing at his wife, physically attacking a teenager who tagged his van, and having violent outbursts in public. These actions reveal deep-seated emotional repression and frustration, which likely influenced Jamie’s own perceptions of masculinity.

Eddie’s wife, Manda, and daughter, Lisa, often cast their own emotions aside to comfort and placate him, reinforcing the idea that male emotional expression—particularly anger—must be accommodated rather than challenged. Eddie later reveals that his own father was physically abusive, highlighting the generational cycle of toxic masculinity.

Social media discussions around Adolescence suggest that Eddie’s behaviour, though subtle compared to Jamie’s, illustrates how ingrained toxic masculinity is in modern culture. Viewers note that while social media played a role in Jamie’s mindset, the cultural environment in which he was raised laid the foundation for his actions.

The Role of Media and Social Influence

The way Adolescence portrays social influence aligns with two key psychological concepts:

• Normative Social Influence (NSI): The pressure to conform to group norms for acceptance. If Jamie was trying to prove himself to peers, NSI could explain why he engaged in risky or aggressive behaviour.

• Informational Social Influence (ISI): The tendency to adopt beliefs based on perceived authority or expertise. Exposure to online influencers promoting toxic masculinity may have led Jamie to internalise these ideas as truth.

  
  

Toxic masculinity within Jamie’s school is evident, particularly in Episode 2, where the police investigate his peers for leads. In a scene where a female student attacks a male student, the young boy is ridiculed by peers for being hit by a female. This reinforces misogynistic views within the school, promoting the belief that men must be dominant. Being struck by a girl is seen as humiliating, leading to exclusion from the peer group—an example of normative social influence within the school environment.

Episode 2 also explores student interactions with the manosphere, referencing the use of red pill and blue pill emojis, common symbols within incel communities. The red pill represents the idea of ‘waking up’ to a supposed hidden truth about society, particularly regarding gender dynamics, reinforcing toxic beliefs through informational social influence. By describing these views as ‘the truth,’ individuals are more likely to internalise them, seeing them as objective reality rather than subjective ideology.

What Can Be Done? Preventing Toxic Masculinity and Aggression

Understanding the psychology behind toxic masculinity and aggression can help develop strategies for prevention. Some key approaches include:

• Critical Media Literacy: Teaching young people to critically evaluate messages from social media and online communities.

• Encouraging Emotional Expression: Promoting open discussions about emotions and challenging the notion that men should suppress vulnerability.

• Positive Role Models: Highlighting healthy examples of masculinity that promote kindness, empathy, and emotional intelligence.

  
  

Final Thoughts

Adolescence offers a gripping portrayal of crime, identity, and the pressures young people face in a digital world. From a psychological perspective, the series highlights important discussions on toxic masculinity, aggression, and social influence. By applying theories from A-Level Psychology, we can better understand the factors that contribute to harmful behaviours and explore ways to foster healthier attitudes in young men.

Disclaimer: These psychological theories do not justify misogyny or toxic masculinity but seek to understand their origins in order to explore ways to foster healthier relationships and societal attitudes.