Deputy Principal

We Need to Have this Conversation

In a world where our young men are constantly exposed to social media and their content is controlled by algorithms, I must point out that social media influencer Andrew Tate is widely being circulated on certain platforms. Andrew Tate has been banned from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and recently TikTok for his vile, misogynistic views about females. 

He talks about women being possessions of men, about slapping and beating women before he has sex with them as well as saying women should bear some responsibility for being sexually assaulted. 

Andrew Tate’s views have been shared millions of times and I imagine if you have a conversation with your son, they would have heard of him. While parents/carers may not have heard of him, it is important that we have a conversation with our sons about this topic. I am not saying that your sons would agree with his views, but there are young men making jokes about his content or liking his content. By continuing to watch this content and saying it is just a joke I believe shows a lack of moral judgement and a disconnect with the values of the College. It is never okay to treat women with disrespect. It is never okay to make jokes about raping or hitting or bashing girls/women. 

All girls/women should be treated with respect. We should build confidence in our young girls that they can do anything in this world they like and that our young men will be there to support them in anything that they do. As your sons grow up and enter relationships, we want them to be respectful partners, partners who are in a loving relationship. Partners are never a trophy or never something that we have ownership over. 

It is up to all of us to have a conversation with our sons as I am sure you all do to ensure that we treat everyone with human dignity and respect. A loving relationship is one based on mutual respect, not one where the man dominates a toxic relationship.

Adrian Byrne

Deputy Principal