By Sarah Dale
22 July 2026
As journalists, we keep up to date with topical affairs and regularly have lively discussions in our office about what’s in the news.
Something that keeps coming up time and time again is behaviour. In particular, the behaviour of ‘role models’ – people in the public eye, from politicians to world class footballers. People, you would think, who should know better. They are media trained professionals who are experts in their field and they have the eyes of the nation, or indeed the world, on them. So you would think they would hold themselves to account, ensure that their behaviour was public-friendly, professional, and suitable for younger eyes to see too. What has been very apparent lately is that isn’t the case at all. In fact, the total opposite.
Anyone who watched the Men’s World Cup will have seen the outrageous displays of violence displayed on the global stage. What are we teaching children and young people? That it’s okay to punch someone in the face if we don’t agree with them or push someone over if they look like they may win a game? These men are multi-millionaires at the top of their game. They are the epitome of physical health and athleticism and show the power of strong teamwork and resilience. However, they also show extremely low levels of emotional regulation, sportsmanship, and, at times, impulsive violent behaviour. Then we see the analysis – they are “passionate”, “ultra focused” and “in the moment”. So, if we see a man hit a woman in the street, we should think “Ah he is just being passionate, he’s in the moment”? If we see a child trip over another child and stamp on their foot during a lunchtime game at school, we should comment: “Ah, that’s okay, she was just in the moment, she is just very passionate when she’s playing”? Two men are in an office and one doesn’t agree with the other’s point of view so he punches them in the face? Of course not! The violent man in the street would be reported to the police and charged with assault, the child at the school would receive a consequence, and the violent man in the office would be sacked for gross misconduct.
So why is it okay on the football field??
Unless you have been living under a rock, then you will have seen the news that we have a new Prime Minister! But instead of focusing on what he has said, his new Cabinet and his vision for his term, the media has focused on Marie-France van Heel’s body and what she was wearing! A businesswoman and mother-of-three, who we all thought looked beautiful and elegant, has been vilified and objectified in the press for “daring” to wear a Victoria Beckham dress. We will not repeat the insults thrown in her direction here but suffice to say they were misogynistic and vile and disappointingly, many came from other women.
We have a range of ages in the office, with the youngest being 18 and the oldest having seen more than a few Prime Ministers come and go. Despite the age differences, there is one thing we all agree on: young people deserve better examples from those in positions of influence.
Whether it is a footballer, politician, celebrity, journalist or business leader, being a role model comes with responsibility. Nobody is perfect and everyone makes mistakes, but there seems to be a growing acceptance of behaviour that would simply not be tolerated in everyday life. Poor conduct is excused; aggressive behaviour is rebranded as passion and personal attacks are dismissed as harmless opinion.
The reality is that children and young people are watching. They are learning how to treat others, how to disagree respectfully and how to conduct themselves in society. If the adults they look up to cannot demonstrate those values, how can we expect the next generation to do so?
The answer is not to demand perfection. It is to demand accountability. We should celebrate passion, determination and ambition, but not when they come at the expense of kindness, respect and self-control.
Equally, we should be able to discuss ideas, policies and performance without resorting to personal attacks, insults or objectification.
Perhaps it is time for all of us to remember the lessons many of us were taught as children: treat others as you would like to be treated, think before you speak and accept responsibility for your actions.
The people in the spotlight may not have asked to be role models, but the reality is that they are. And for the sake of the young people growing up in a world that often feels increasingly divided and hostile, they need to do better.
After all, if we expect good behaviour from children in the classroom, surely it is not too much to expect the same from adults on the world stage.
Changing the world: One column at a time.
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