The outcry against Bonnie Blue, an Australian porn star targeting high school boys for "barely legal" content, highlights a troubling inconsistency: society only recognizes female-perpetrated sexual abuse when it is blatant and impossible to ignore. Blue openly uses her platform to lure high school boys for profit under the guise of empowerment. While this has drawn criticism, it remains an exception in how female predators are typically addressed.

If a 25-year-old man openly sought high school girls to create explicit content, the response would be swift and absolute, with calls for immediate action. Yet, when Bonnie Blue targets high school boys, there is hesitation to label her actions as predatory. Society often clings to outdated beliefs that women aren’t capable of abuse or that male victims aren’t truly harmed. This double standard not only excuses female predators but also perpetuates harmful stereotypes about men and abuse.

The myth that men are less affected by abuse silences male victims and normalizes exploitative behavior when the perpetrator is a woman. High school boys, while technically adults, are still vulnerable to manipulation due to their social and emotional immaturity. Blue’s actions—targeting a high school setting and profiting from the inexperience of these boys—demonstrate clear predatory behavior, yet the societal response has been muted compared to similar actions by male offenders.

Some defend her behavior as “empowering,” but exploitation is not empowerment. True empowerment involves ethical, consensual relationships—not targeting vulnerable young people for personal gain. Dismissing predatory actions under the guise of empowerment does a disservice to victims and undermines efforts to hold all abusers accountable.

This case exemplifies a larger problem: society’s failure to confront female-perpetrated sexual abuse unless it is overt and undeniable. Male victims face additional barriers to being taken seriously, as the cultural narrative still struggles to acknowledge that women can be abusers. Recognizing abuse shouldn’t depend on the gender of the perpetrator—it should depend on the harm caused to the victim.

If we want to protect all victims and create a consistent standard of accountability, we must stop excusing female predators or treating their actions as less harmful. Abuse is abuse, regardless of the perpetrator’s gender. Only by addressing these biases can we ensure justice for all victims and hold all predators to the same standard.