“Men Can Go Out, Women Have To Stay Home”: Woman Praised For Locking Little Brother Outside To Teach Him A Lesson

In what’s believed by some to be a clear case of the ends justifying the means, a video of a boy being locked outside his home by her sister to teach him “not to be misogynistic” went massively viral.

Uploaded last Wednesday (April 23), the clip—which has garnered over 4.4 million views and 1 million likes—shows TikTok model Maria Taisla casually questioning her younger brother about gender roles.

At one point, Sebastian, who appears to be around six years old, says that women “have to stay at home” while men are allowed to be out in the streets. In response, Maria tricks him into stepping outside the door, with the kid smiling nervously, then locks him out, causing him to cry in fear and confusion.

The video was widely praised by Maria’s followers, who said that she was “teaching her brother a lesson,” while others were horrified by what they saw as exploitation of a child’s fear of internet clout.

A woman goes viral after locking her little brother outside their house to “teach him not to be misogynistic”

Young woman smiling inside a car praised for locking little brother outside to teach a lesson about gender roles.

Image credits: mariataisla

As the video spread through various social media platforms, Maria’s supporters flooded their comment sections with praise for her “unconventional” teaching method.

“At least he learned through pain not to repeat that nonsense!” one user said.

“I agree with this. He’s learning from a young age to grow into a real man,” another replied, echoing the sentiments of many who saw Maria’s actions as a necessary form of tough love that’s better administered at an early age.

“This is how you fight sexism: from an early age,” a viewer argued. “Poor boy, but it’s better for him to be scared now than to make a woman suffer in the future.”

Woman and little brother taking a selfie indoors, representing the lesson about men going out and women staying home.

Image credits: mariataisla

At the same time, an equally vocal portion of users felt uncomfortable about the stunt, arguing that Sebastian, being only a small child, was simply repeating what he heard from adults.

“I bet he heard that from adults. The child isn’t at fault—he didn’t come up with that idea out of nowhere,” a viewer wrote.

As Bored Pandapreviously reported, a similar incident occurred earlier this year, when a Canadian reporter was yelled at by a young boy with obscene words, seemingly motivated by his father.

Detractors said that Maria causing him emotional distress in exchange for social media views was unethical—and potentially dangerous.

Critics argue that the TikToker used her brother’s distress for internet fame

Young boy and woman in kitchen setting, illustrating a lesson about men going out and women staying home.

Image credits: mariataisla

This isn’t the first time Maria Taisla has featured her younger brother in her content. In previous videos, Sebastian was seen dancing, dressing up, and happily participating in her antics. To some, this history made her decision to use his fear for a viral video even more questionable.

“Where is child protective services?” one user asked. “She’s clearly committing psychological ab*se against a child and posting it online.”

Woman locking little brother outside to teach him a lesson about men going out while women stay home.

Image credits: mariataisla

Some went as far as to suggest the TikToker set up the entire video—which has become her second most popular one—in order to go viral.

They argue that Sebastian’s history of following her instructions in previous videos, along with the clip being pinned to the top of her profile, points to Maria using the controversial topic to gain relevance.

Young woman praised for locking little brother outside to teach him a lesson about men and women staying home.

Image credits: mariataisla

Others were horrified by what they saw as the model putting her brother in danger, recalling real-life tragedies to show how dangerous such “lessons” can be.

“I remember a case where parents put a little girl outside just to scare her, and in that short time, she disappeared and was found dead days later,” one netizen said.

The clip’s virality in Brazil was explained in part by the country’s persistent gender-based violence problems

Young boy locked outside by woman teaching lesson on gender roles with main SEO keywords men can go out women stay home

Image credits: mariataisla

The video was particularly poignant to its native Brazilian viewers, who come from a country where, according to World Bank statistics, approximately one in four women suffer some violence or aggression every year.

The issue has only worsened over the years, with 2023 data provided by the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety showing that every indicator of gender-based violence, such as m*rder, harassment, and stalking, increased when compared to previous years.

Young boy locked outside, reaching and shouting through a window in a lesson about gender roles and staying home.

Image credits: mariataisla

According to Samira Bueno, the forum’s executive director, the issue worsened dramatically in the aftermath of the pandemic—and shows no signs of slowing down.

Woman praised for locking little brother outside, standing confidently at night in brown outfit and boots near table and chairs.

Image credits: mariataisla

“Since 2021, the figures for violence against women have been increasing at an accelerated rate, and they’re much higher than in the pre-pandemic period,” she said in an interview with The Guardian.

“Brazil has always been a very violent country, but it seems that the pandemic changed something. The tensions that arose in the domestic environment potentially exacerbated all these forms of violence.”

Users continued to debate Maria’s methods, unable to find common ground

Woman and little brother outdoors near horse, illustrating lesson about men going out while women stay home.

Image credits: mariataisla

The video’s virality motivated a broader discussion about the correct way to address harmful ideas in young children.

While some argue that drastic and early interventions are crucial, others point out that inducing fear can backfire, causing long-term resentment instead of change.

 

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A post shared by Maria Taisla (@mariataisla)

Debate among viewers continued, with both sides arguing over the line between education and exploitation, especially when children are involved and when “likes,” views, and money are on the line.

“The sister wasn’t wrong—and if she was, it was in trying to do the right thing,” one of her fans argued.

“That isn’t the right way. She’ll end up turning him bitter instead of teaching him to respect women,” another said.

Content in Brazilian Portuguese was translated into English.

“Diva.” Maria’s fans flooded social media with praise for her “teaching method”

Comment by Mah Souza praising positive education, reacting with laughing emojis and 82.7K likes.

Social media comment praising a woman for locking her little brother outside to teach him a lesson.

Comment praising woman for locking little brother outside to teach him a lesson on gender roles.

Comment praising woman for locking little brother outside to teach him a lesson about gender roles in a social media post.

Screenshot of a TikTok comment praising a woman for locking her little brother outside to teach him a lesson.

Screenshot of a social media comment praising a woman for locking her little brother outside to teach him a lesson.

Comment by Thaisa Freitas on social media, reacting to a story about a woman locking her little brother outside.

Screenshot of a social media comment where a woman is praised for locking her little brother outside to teach him a lesson.

Comment praising woman for locking little brother outside to teach him a lesson about gender roles.

Comment on social media expressing feelings of liberation and happiness after watching a video about gender roles and lessons.

Social media post praising woman for locking little brother outside to teach him a lesson about sexism.

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Tweet by a woman praising teaching a lesson to a little brother about growing up and being a real man during lockdown.

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Tweet by Bianca Bianchini praising a woman for locking little brother outside to teach him a lesson about sexism.

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Tweet from Gazeta da Fama praising woman for locking little brother outside to teach him a lesson about sexism.

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Tweet criticizing gender roles in 2025, highlighting the issue of men going out while women stay home.

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Screenshot of a tweet discussing a child repeating what he hears, linked to a woman praised for locking little brother outside.

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Tweet from user brito stating a guess about someone creating a Twitter account with an anime picture after an incident.

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Tweet from João Pedro C. Motta criticizing woman praised for locking little brother outside, highlighting psychological impact on child.

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Screenshot of a Twitter post discussing a woman praised for locking her little brother outside to teach him a lesson.

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Tweet discussing a woman praised for locking her little brother outside to teach him a lesson about gender roles.

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