Adolescence - Netflix series
Tragedy impacts the family system
This week of May 11, 2025 I watched the 4 part Network series Adolescence. Adolescence tells the story about the arrest of 13-year-old Jamie Miller for the murder of his classmate The series meticulously unravels the psychological impact of the accusation and investigation on Jamie and his family.
As I watch it I was reminded of Andrew Solomon’s 2013 book Far From The Tree which tells the stories of families in which parents have a child with characteristics which separate the child from the parents’ culture such as deafness, dwarfism, autism, other disabilities, sexual orientation, drug addiction, sexual addiction, and crime. How do families navigate a society that stigmatizes their child and by association, them?
If a person is interested in learning more about what families go through when tragedy strikes upsetting the family equilibrium watching this series can enhance the viewer’s ability to empathize, experience deeper understanding, and exercise compassion.