Latest news with #EmpireFightingChance
BBC News
22-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Community groups can provide solution to toxic masculinity'
Community group leaders have urged others to help them show up for young men in response to the Netflix drama Adolescence and Gareth Southgate's Dimbleby TV show and the former England manager's speech have sparked discussions about toxic masculinity and misogynistic content shared organisations in Bristol and Somerset feel that exposing boys to positive role models and positive experiences can tackle the growing issues. "The situation is complex", said Martin Bisp, CEO and co-founder of Empire Fighting Chance, a charity born on Bristol's streets in 2006. "One of the problems we see is that young people don't talk to each other anymore and instead they turn to online."But they actually want to talk and they want to express themselves."Young males might be angry or need somewhere to go, they could be living in chaotic households or they may be getting bullied, and they need an outlet."Speaking to BBC Radio Bristol about the growing popularity of misogynistic influencers, Mr Bisp said good role models are important."We can't keep putting it on schools, asking teachers to do more for less. As a society it's all our responsibility," he said. "We all need to step up and play our part."He said youth services are an "extraordinarily important" part of the solution. "Have a look at what's available and if you think you can add value and you can commit, get involved and volunteer," he added. 'I never had male role models' Matt Lawrence, a 20-year-old boxer and coach, has seen first-hand the difference clubs like his can joined Empire Fighting Chance when he was 14 and said at the time he was experiencing social anxiety and bullying in school."I was bullied quite badly," he said."The reason I started boxing was because I wanted to feel respected. "I felt that when people looked at me they saw nothing. I didn't feel like I mattered." "I didn't have male role models growing up. I never knew my dad," he said."I had a challenging upbringing, I was on my own a lot of the time."He said boxing gave him self-belief, something he tries to instil in the children that he coaches."I didn't realise it at the time, how much of an impact coaches had on my life," he said."The support and belief they gave me to push myself shaped the way I see myself."When I joined Empire, my first coach was actually a woman. "I have positive male role models now, and I think it's important having both men and women you can look up to." 'It's not just about football anymore' Another youth club hoping to make a difference is Rhode Lane Wanderers football team based in Bridgwater, run by manager and coach Sam Smith."It's not just about teaching football anymore, it's so much more," he said."It's about teaching respect, resilience, helping each other and being part of a community." Mr Smith hopes Adolescence will be an eye-opener for parents."I think phone use is an addiction," he said."I've seen people say that access should be restricted but it's just as much about raising awareness of this, and I think Adolescence is going to help."It will help parents realise the dangers of being online, sometimes they're not obvious."
BBC News
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Ban kids from social media? Maybe, says Adolescence writer
The writer of the Netflix drama Adolescence has suggested that children should be denied access to social media to protect them from toxic ideas Thorne from Bristol, together with actor Stephen Graham, created the drama series about 13-year-old boy Jamie, who is accused of murdering a girl at his series tackles themes around incel culture – incel is short for involuntary celibacy – and navigating social media as a young Thorne said it was not difficult to put himself into Jamie's head, a child who felt "isolated", who thought he had found "the answer to his pain" in toxic masculine ideas found online. Mr Thorne said he wanted the show – which stars Graham as dad Eddie and Owen Cooper as Jamie – to be watched by parents with their children so they talk about these said engaging with toxic ideas online was "a logic that was incredibly troubling to me because it's a logic that I know some people would have been incredibly drawn to, including me when I was a kid"."If I'm 13 and I feel alone and isolated and unattractive... these things then sound like the answer to my pain," Mr Thorne said."We do believe perhaps the answer to this is in parliament and legislating and taking kids away from their phones in school and taking kids away from social media altogether." The release of Adolescence comes as England manager, Sir Gareth Southgate, is calling for more action to support young men to navigate identity, culture and resilience."[Young men] spend more time online searching for direction and are falling into unhealthy alternatives like gaming, gambling and pornography," he said in a speech on Thursday night."This void is filled by a new kind of role model who do not have their best interest at heart. Their sole drive is for their own gain." 'Murder doesn't just happen' Dr Nathan Eisenstadt, senior researcher at the University of Bristol, teaches young people how to intervene in situations that pave the way for sexual assault."A murder doesn't just happen," Mr Eisenstadt said. "A person will have done a series of low-level behaviours."Maybe that's comments which reveal their attitude about women."Martin Bisp is CEO of Empire Fighting Chance, a Bristol boxing club which also offers mentoring for young said young people have an urge to express themselves and often turn to the internet."There's been a cut back of services for young people so they resort to things they know, which might be online stuff," Mr Bisp said."Mentoring shouldn't just be fluffy. If views are expressed that aren't right it's about challenging those views."
