I’m always concerned greatly about matters gender related. Specifically two (of the countless) genders now available. Male, because that’s how I was born and on occasion choose to ‘self-identify’ (how am I doing so far? This is so difficult) and female because that has been my major source of obsession since I was 11. And I haven’t always treated (self-identifying, chromosomally orientated) women in ways I was always proud of, but I’ve definitely avoided prison. So far.

However, in the light of the recent ‘#me-too-extension’ we all have to reconsider what is or isn’t acceptable, both currently and historically. Even though really, its about moving forward. Into a world where perhaps women might feel less vulnerable, less pestered, less objectified. By shifting the responsibility onto the males. Particularly, but not limited to, builders and politicians. Taxi drivers. Accountants. Social workers, statisticians, footballers, cleaners, doctors, lawyers, car-washers…

Thus the obvious solution. Men, when still boys, must be educated. Less geography and woodwork, more ‘respect for women 101’. A ‘fuller’ education. Where social norms and protocols can be included. Manners. Politeness. Good behaviour. A bit like they currently do at the ‘finer’ of our schools. Because if you send your son to the Scumbag Academy, Dagenham, your expectations are very different to those if he’d gone to Eton. Westminster. St Pauls. Dulwich College. Where they train you first and foremost to be a ‘gentleman’. Then a Tory MP. Unless you’re not quite bright enough, then you get fast-tracked to Prime Minister.

And yet what do we find? That these ‘elite’ schools, the ‘finest in the land’, are in fact centres of excellence for rape, misogyny, groping, abuse and sexual assault. These ‘top’ schools are rife with porn culture among their ‘boys’ and reports of horrors to the girls they encounter or socialise with.

It was different in my day. Sexting was unavailable. Or was called ‘flashing’ and would land you in serious trouble. Revenge porn didn’t exist unless you had a film studio and ‘online romance’ normally meant being parked on a dark stretch of railway track out near Ongar.

Smart phones are not the whole problem but are definitely the facilitators and enablers of an entire culture of Neanderthalism. And when that meets the horrendous levels of ‘entitlement’ found in those ‘better schools’, it ain’t going to end well. And it doesn’t.

It’s not like these kids don’t know what they’re doing is wrong. That’s part of the game, the creator of even more frisson. The ‘education’ required is to realign their moral standards and remove the ‘boys will be boys’ bullshit. Or at least try to modify it to add; as long as you’re not causing hurt and suffering to girls.

Or train all girls in martial arts.

Happy Thursday

A xxxx