Not Just ‘Kids Being Kids’: Canadian Reporter Highlights The Roots Of Misogyny

Michelle Mackey, a Canadian news reporter, was covering a live segment when she became the target of an inappropriate comment from an unlikely source, a young boy, around 8 or 9 years old. What he said was disturbing enough to leave the journalist shaken, not because of the child’s words alone, but because of the adult standing right beside him.

"I looked over and saw how young he was," Mackey told Today.com. "It was really disturbing. I felt sick."

While it might be tempting to dismiss the incident as "just a joke" or "kids being kids," Mackey saw something much more alarming: learned behaviour. She didn't place the blame on the child. Instead, her disappointment centred on the adult who laughed and walked away.

Rather than respond with anger, Mackey tried to connect. "I wanted to say 'Can you say that again to me, looking me in the eye as a human being?' she recalled. She hoped for a pause, a second thought. But instead, the child and the man simply walked away, laughing and giving her a thumbs-up, as if it were all part of a joke.

She concluded with a powerful request: "Please, do better next time."

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A Larger Issue in Plain Sight

This incident isn't about one boy or one broadcast, it's about the casual way our culture treats women in public spaces. When even a child speaks in such a way, and the adult laughs instead of correcting him, it shows how deeply normalised disrespect has become.

Women in media, especially reporters working on the field, often endure harassment ranging from verbal jabs to sexually suggestive comments. That it came from a child only reinforces how early the seeds of misogyny are sown, by example, not instinct.

Mackey's experience isn't a singular event, it's a moment that symbolises many. And it calls on adults to take ownership, not just for themselves, but for what they model to the children around them.

Respect isn't taught in schools alone, it's reinforced at home, on the streets, and in moments like these. Children mirror what they see and hear, and every laugh or silence from an adult becomes a lesson.

Misogyny Isn't Inherited, It's Taught 

Bias against women is not an instinct; it's a learned behaviour, nurtured over time through societal cues, family dynamics, and media portrayals. From a young age, children observe the messages around them, internalising them in ways that mould their views of gender roles. Boys are often celebrated for their assertiveness, while girls are urged to be passive and agreeable. These subtle yet powerful messages create the foundation of misogyny, influencing how both men and women perceive themselves and others.

Over time, this conditioning becomes ingrained in social structures, perpetuating inequality. But misogyny is not an inescapable fate; it can be unlearned, disrupted, and dismantled. Challenging this cycle starts with the acknowledgement that these biases are taught, not innate, and only by actively unlearning them can we hope to foster a world where respect for all genders thrives.

Personal views expressed by the author are their own.