Fiction Shocks Us, Reality Doesn’t: The Silence Around Real Violence Against Women
Netflix’s new miniseries Adolescence has rapidly ascended to the top of Australia’s viewing charts, captivating audiences nationwide. The four-part series opens with the harrowing scene of 13-year-old Jamie being arrested for the fatal stabbing of his classmate, Katie. While the perpetrator’s identity is clear from the outset, the narrative delves deep into the societal and psychological factors that could drive a young boy to commit such a heinous act.
The series is being praised for its raw portrayal of toxic masculinity, the perils of unmonitored internet exposure, and the insidious influence of figures like Andrew Tate on impressionable youth. Each episode is meticulously crafted, with scenes executed in single takes, amplifying the intensity and realism of storytelling.
And yet, here we are again. A fictional TV series has ignited a global conversation, while the real-life deaths of women at the hands of men barely register in the public consciousness. Are you enraged by Adolescence? Good. I need you to direct that rage to our reality.
Because this is not just a gripping drama—it is the world we live in. In Australia, a woman is murdered by a man every four days. That’s not an accident. That’s not a tragic anomaly. That is a relentless, systemic crisis. These women were not characters in a script; they were real people, with lives, families, dreams. And yet, their deaths are reduced to mere headlines—if they even make the news at all.
I am tired. I am angry. I am fed up. We have these same conversations over and over again, and nothing changes. We mourn, we rage, we promise to do better—and then another woman dies. And another. And another. And the cycle continues, unbroken, unchallenged—another woman gone, another name added to the list.
Adolescence forces us to confront the uncomfortable truths about how boys are socialised, the content they consume online, the violent, misogynistic figures they idolise. But this isn’t new information. We have known this for years. We have seen this play out in real life, in real courtrooms, in real funerals. So why does it take a scripted drama to make people pay attention?
Let this series be more than just another fleeting discussion point. Let it be the catalyst for real, tangible action. Demand comprehensive digital literacy education in schools. Speak up against toxic masculinity, against violence, against the men who harm women and the systems that enable them. Hold the media accountable for how they report—or fail to report—on these crimes. And above all, remember the names of the women we have lost.
Not as statistics. Not as cautionary tales. But as human beings whose lives mattered.
In Memory of the Women Killed by Men in Australia, in 2025 (updated March 4th).
Alice Springs Woman, 51
Katie Lee Tangey, 27
Merril Kelly, 70
Hazley Ellen Shanks, 8 weeks old
Rachel McKenna, 35
Rachel Moresi, 55
Warlpiri Woman, 41
Justine Jussy Hammond, 43
Elizabeth Pearce, 24
Kara Jade Weribone, 27
Two of the women from this list are Aboriginal Australian, and I will not be sharing their names out of respect for their culture.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, support is available:
1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) - 24/7 National Domestic Violence Support
Lifeline (13 11 14) - Crisis support and suicide prevention
MensLine Australia (1300 789 978) - Support for men at risk of using violence.
By Kiara Sasha, @kiarasashasexologist
