In late January of this year, I wrote about a school in America that was accused of installing cat litter trays for students who were identifying themselves as furries (see link below). There was a bit of an uproar about it. It seems that this need by some schoolchildren to identify as an animal, in this case a cat or fox, is infectious because we now have a story about Brisbane private school students following suit.
RELATED: School accused of installing cat litter trays for students who identify as ‘furries’
A handful of girls at Brisbane Girls Grammar School have decided to identify as cats or foxes. The big question is why? A psychologist suggested that they might want to arrest their development into adulthood. Or perhaps they are under stress and this is a manifestation of that emotion. And the challenge, according to another psychologist, is how to deal with it.
In that previous post the school was accused of demeaning students by providing them with litter trays. It was mickey-taking, perhaps to shame them into stopping identifying as furries.
At Brisbane Girls Grammar School girls have been seen preening themselves and licking the backs of their hands. They even walk around with their arms hanging towards the ground as if they are on all fours.
RELATED: Animal Symbolism: The Jaguar
On one occasion a girl went to sit at a spare desk and another girl screamed at her for sitting on her tail. There was a slit in the girl’s uniform where the imaginary tail passed through.
Is this another form of the woke movement? We just don’t know. Brisbane psychologist Judith Locke said that it was only a matter of time before people began to identify as animals because they are romanticised in films, television and books.
The problem should be addressed if it disrupts schooling. As mentioned, the real problem here is how to deal with it psychologically and with the girl’s mental health in mind? Does the school accept it as a passing phase which the children enjoy? Perhaps it makes them feel better and if so, why stop it if it is harmless? Or, is there something more sinister going on?
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We know that in the modern age schoolchildren appeared to suffer from more stress than they did in the past. The world has become more challenging. The future looks more difficult. Covid didn’t help and now we have Ukraine invasion which creates an enormous uncertainty in the minds of everybody. The question is will there be a World War 3? This preys on people’s minds. For a child it is going to have a bigger effect because they don’t have the experience to deal with these strong emotions.
I know that self-harming by schoolchildren in the UK has risen. There is an alarming percentage of school children, mainly girls, in the UK who self-harm. Schoolchildren mental health problems and issues are constantly on the agenda.
My impression is that a child acts out as an animal and becomes a furry as a coping mechanism. It takes the child out of the human form into the form of an animal which helps to remove themselves from what is causing the stress and distress. That is my amateur psychiatrist’s viewpoint. I can’t be sure but my gut feeling tells me that my thoughts have some validity.
Note: the school looks very impressive. Clearly a high standard school where achievement is encouraged.
