“He is a man; he should endure anything and everything.” This flawed societal belief has long portrayed men as emotionless robots that are capable of bearing any hardship without complaint. This perception not only invalidates their feelings but also excuses harmful behaviors directed toward them.
A recent incident brought this issue to light via a video circulated online in the second week of January. The video shows a commercial sex worker venting her frustrations at a young boy who, according to her, had approached her for her services but then refused to pay. From the footage, it was evident that the boy was below 18 years.
What is alarming here is the response the video has received. Many viewers have applauded the boy’s actions, hailing him as an “alpha male” and celebrating what they perceived as his boldness. This reaction raises a critical question: Are there no laws against such behavior? The answer is clear, yet societal attitudes seem to respond differently because of the gender of those involved.
If the roles were reversed, and a young girl had been involved instead of the boy, the public outcry would have been swift and overwhelming. There would have been countless articles, posts, and discussions condemning the man involved and calling for justice. Yet, in this case, the situation was treated as a joke, and the gravity of the issue was dismissed. The truth remains: regardless of the boy’s willingness to approach the woman, he is underage. For the woman, this might simply be business, but the law is explicit in its stance on such matters.
According to the 2019 Sexual Offenses Act (as amended), a person below the age of 18 cannot legally give consent to any sexual conduct. Therefore, the responsibility lies squarely with the adult to act within the bounds of the law. The woman in question ought to have known better, as engaging in commercial sex activity with an underage boy is not only unethical but also illegal. From her own account, as shown in the video, this boy was not the first minor she had rendered her services to, suggesting a troubling pattern of behavior that should not go unchecked.
This incident not only highlights the double standards in how society addresses such issues but also exposes the dangerous narratives surrounding masculinity. Boys and men are often expected to endure abuse or inappropriate situations in silence, as if their gender somehow shields them from harm.
It is high time society recognised that abuse is abuse, regardless of the gender of the victim. The law must be enforced without bias, and both boys and girls should be equally protected from exploitation and harm. Failure to address such issues perpetuates a cycle of violence, silence and neglect, leaving countless young boys vulnerable and their experiences invalidated.
