The latest Netflix hit, Adolescence, a disturbing crime drama, has left everyone wondering if the show’s events are based on a true story. Though the series itself is not directly inspired by a true story, creator Stephen Graham, who also starred in the series, has revealed the heartbreaking real-life incidents that influenced its creation.
Following a 13-year-old accused of brutally murdering a schoolmate, the series highlights youth violence along with male aggression against women and girls, issues rooted in real-life cases that Graham cited as key inspirations for the series.
Stephen Graham revealed the heartbreaking stories that inspired Adolescence
The new Netflix series Adolescence highlights the harrowing reality of youth-involved violent crime, as it follows the story of 13-year-old Jamie Miller, who is accused of killing a teenage girl from his school.
Stephen Graham, who also played the role of Jamie’s father in the miniseries, has revealed that the series is inspired by several such crimes involving young boys’ violence against girls.
“I read an incident in the paper, and it was about a young boy killing a young girl, stabbing a young girl to death,” he told Yahoo UK in a recent interview. Graham also revealed that soon after that, he came across a similar case in a completely different part of the country.
He revealed,
And then not long after that, I saw on the news on the television that you know it happened again in a completely different part of the country, and a young boy had stabbed a young girl.
“Both of those incidents really hurt my heart in a way, and it just made me think what’s going on,” he continued, explaining his concern about what drives young boys to commit such horrific acts.
And it inspired him to collaborate with co-creator Jack Throne and director Philip Barantini to highlight these issues in the Netflix series.
Stephen Graham hopes Adolescence sparks crucial conversations about youth violence and male rage
Stephen Graham has frequently expressed how the concerning increase in the number of “knife crimes” involving young boys led to the creation of Adolescence. With the series gaining significant attention, the actor hopes it will spark crucial conversations about youth violence.
“That’s our main aim to try and create conversations within the home, you know, with parents and their children,” he told Yahoo UK, explaining,
Because we try to pass our moral code on to our children as much as we can, if you know ones that we’ve developed ourselves throughout our lives. And then also in school we have an obligation to try and teach and help our children gain some kind of understanding of the world as a whole.
He further noted the shared responsibility in addressing these issues, saying, “But then it’s the collective who’s responsible in many ways, you know what I mean, so we’re all kind of accountable in certain ways.”
The series’ co-creator, Jack Throne, also noted how toxic online spaces also contribute to male aggression. “There’s a lot more pentious presences out there that are the real damage,” he said.
“We need to be talking about male rage and how male rage has been enabled by social media,” Throne continued, highlighting the urgency of addressing the issue of youth violence and male rage by fostering conversations at home, improving education, and recognizing the influence of harmful online content.
Adolescence is available to watch on Netflix.
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