YAHOO NEWS
Miami-based therapist Jacqueline Ravelo was in a session with one of her clients, a young male teen, when he brought up Andrew Tate. The young man wanted to know what Ravelo thought of Tate.
Haven’t heard the name Andrew Tate before? Well, if your teen spends time on the internet or social media, there’s a good chance Tate is on their radar. The 36-year-old former kickboxer has amassed a massive online following, including many young males, by spewing troubling and misogynistic remarks. A self-proclaimed life coach, Tate has been banned from most social media platforms. His Twitter account, which has 4.7 million followers, was reinstated when Elon Musk took over the company.
Tate once tweeted women should bear “some responsibility” for being sexually assaulted. Born in the U.S., but raised in England, the influencer also claimed in a now deleted videothat he moved to Romania in response to the #MeToo movement because of the country’s more lax rape laws. And yet it was Romanian officials who arrested Tate and his brother in December; the pair are in the midst of a detainment in connection with allegations of human trafficking and rape. Throngs of his supporters in Greece — again, mostly teen males — marched through the streets this month chanting for Tate’s release.
As news of Tate’s legal troubles make international headlines, parents, educators and therapists all over the world are starting to notice the impact the influencer is having on young people, and there’s cause for concern. Educators in England are taking an active role addressing the issue, with lessons being incorporated into some schools to demonstrate how harmful Tate’s views are.
“Some parents have asked to speak to me after sessions, and they’re asking ‘What do we do?’” Ravelo tells Yahoo Life. “They have heard his message and they don’t like what he says. They don’t want their sons following his beliefs.”
But why are so many teens following this guy who broadcasts such inflammatory messages?
“He promotes that flashy lifestyle that lots of young people see and want,” says Courtney Conley, a Maryland-based therapist and wellness expert who specializes in helping youths. “Kids think ‘what is he doing that I can possibly do to get that and obtain that lifestyle?’”
Many of Tate’s videos and images have him flanked by beautiful girls, fancy cars and sought-after locations.
“Young folks are in a stage of development, and when they see things online they don’t always think and challenge or consider it through multiple lenses,” Conley says. “They are more likely to adopt it as the right view and not just one person’s view.”
Even if your teen has never mentioned Tate to you, Conley suggest being proactive and bringing up the issue. Ask your child if they have heard of Tate, and see what they make of his views…
