Abuse Comes in Many Forms

When most people hear the word “abuse,” they think of physical harm or cruelty behind closed doors. But abuse wears many disguises. It can be emotional, psychological, and yes — political. And one of the most disturbing trends of recent years has been the willingness of politicians, activists, and global organisations to place children at the centre of their agendas, using them as shields to push ideology and silence debate.

The most famous example is Greta Thunberg. A young girl with genuine concerns for the environment was elevated almost overnight into a global icon. Her emotional speeches were broadcast around the world, not because she offered new science or practical solutions, but because her youth gave her message an aura of purity. Who dares challenge a child pleading for her future?

But that is precisely the problem.

Children cannot be expected to carry the weight of global policy. They do not bear responsibility for the failures of governments or energy planners. And yet Greta was thrust into parliaments, summits, and media campaigns, while adults in positions of power stood beside her, applauding, nodding, and hiding behind her passion. Instead of facing the public with facts, evidence, and accountability, they outsourced their message to a teenager.

This is not empowerment — it is exploitation.

By turning a vulnerable young person into a political weapon, elites insulated themselves from criticism. They could wrap their Net Zero agenda in the innocence of childhood and accuse anyone who raised questions of being heartless or backward. The tactic worked brilliantly as propaganda, but at a human cost. A child was asked to bear the emotional burden of “saving the planet,” and the public were denied an honest debate about the real costs, consequences, and alternatives to the policies being forced upon them.

True leadership does not hide behind children. True leadership faces the electorate with courage and honesty. It acknowledges trade-offs, explains realities, and invites scrutiny. What we saw instead was the opposite: powerful adults using a vulnerable girl to brainwash the young, silence the poor, and railroad policies that are now crippling our energy system and driving ordinary families into fuel poverty.