Safeguarding

No. 73 Misogyny and the ‘Manosphere’

Contents

What is misogyny?

Misogyny is the hatred, or devaluation of women and girls, often linked to beliefs about male dominance and control.

It goes beyond everyday sexism and can include:

  • Prejudice, hostility and discriminatory attitudes
  • Sexual harassment and abuse
  • Coercive and controlling behaviour
  • Online abuse and harmful stereotypes

Misogyny contributes directly to violence against women and girls (VAWG) and harms the wellbeing of all young people.

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) refers to acts of violence or abuse that disproportionately affect women and girls. It includes rape, sexual offences, stalking, domestic abuse and technology-facilitated abuse. Girls aged 10–15 are particularly vulnerable, especially to online harms. (Ref)

Data shows that women and girls are disproportionately affected by domestic abuse, sexual violence and stalking. Girls are more likely than boys to experience sexual violence, especially online. Vulnerability to VAWG is associated with age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, migration status and geographic region. For example, Black girls are more likely to experience adultification and online abuse, and girls in care are at increased risk of intimate partner violence.

What is the ‘manosphere’?

What is the ‘manosphere’?

The manosphere is a loose network of online communities, influencers and content that promote harmful ideas about gender and relationships.

Young people may encounter this via social media, gaming platforms and video-sharing sites, often amplified by algorithms which target young boys, and skews their version of reality and expose them to pornography.

The average age a child first sees pornography online is 13. In recent survey, 59% of respondents reported seeing pornography online by accident up from 38% in 2023. More than a quarter (27%) of respondents had seen online pornography by the age of 11. (Children’s Commissioner 2025)

Content may:

  • Blame women for personal or social problems
  • Promote male entitlement, dominance and lack of consent
  • Encourage hostility towards gender equality
  • Normalise harmful behaviours (e.g. degrading language, harassment)

This includes spaces linked to ‘incel’ culture, misogynistic influencers, and content connected to pornography and exploitation.

Why this matters in educational settings

Reports show widespread sexual harassment and normalisation of harmful behaviours. Ofsted found that 9 in 10 girls had experienced sexist name-calling or unsolicited sexual images.

In further education, provision is fragmented and RSE is not compulsory.

Online, girls face exposure to violent pornography, deepfake abuse and misogynistic content. (Ref)

Public spaces, including transport, are also sites of risk. Evidence shows misogynistic attitudes are widespread among young people:

  • 54% of pupils (11–19) report hearing misogynistic comments
  • 37% heard comments that made them concerned about girls’ safety (DfE, 2025)

Misogyny can:

  • Undermine safeguarding and inclusion
  • Contribute to bullying, harassment and sexual violence
  • Link with online harm, radicalisation and poor mental health

Early education and consistent responses are key to prevention.

What should staff do?

Toolkits from organisations such as NSPCC, Women’s Aid and the National Education Union provide practical guidance and resources to help schools implement a whole school approach to preventing sexism, misogyny and violence against women and girls. (Ref)

Key actions for settings

1. Provide staff with training, resources and capacity to teach about misogyny, VAWG, and harmful sexual behaviour

  • Raise awareness of what constitutes:
    • Sexual harassment and assault
    • Actively expressed, Enthusiastic, Informed and Conscious Consent
    • The impact of fear on behaviour (fight, flight, fawn and freeze responses)
    • Coercive control, manipulation and domestic abuse
    • Online harms, exploitation and abuse
    • Misogyny and the ‘Manosphere’
  • Challenge myths by promoting facts
  • Give staff time and opportunity to reflect on their practice, review RSE resources and share learning with colleagues
  • Record, report, review and learn from incidents

2. ‘Call out’ unacceptable behaviour

  • Challenge misogynistic attitudes and behaviour every time
  • Make expectations about respect and consent explicit
  • Hold clear, firm, compassionate, consistent boundaries
  • Help build accountability and create social norms

3. ‘Call in’ the prosocial behaviour

  • Teach critical thinking and media literacy
  • Engage pupils in a reflective, relational way to help them recognise harmful attitudes and behaviour
  • Prevent escalation through learning, understanding and change through relationship
  • Use every opportunity to bring in RSE content into class discussions
  • Help boys and men understand misogyny and see themselves as agents of positive masculinity

4. Create a culture of safety and equality

  • Promote gender equality and inclusion across the curriculum
  • Make it safe for pupils to ask questions, speak up and report concerns
  • Believe and support those who disclose harm
  • Recognise the needs of those displaying harmful behaviours
  • Ensure all RSE content is inclusive and culturally competent ( accessible and relevant) for minoritised communities including LGBTQ+ Neurodivergent, SEND, Ethnic Minorities and faith groups

5. Systemic change

  • Provide access to pastoral and mental health support and trusted adults
  • Signpost families and carers to resources to educate the whole community
  • Give families the opportunity to learn about the key learning outcomes of the RSE curriculum
  • Support staff wellbeing and ensure they are signposted to support in their own right
  • Provide staff with good quality training, resources and capacity to reflect on their practice

What this looks like in practice

  • Staff feel supported and confident to deliver good quality RSE that explicitly addresses misogyny, online harms, healthy relationships and consent
  • Staff challenge sexist language calmly and consistently
  • Pupils question influencers and online content critically
  • Prosocial Bystanders are supported to intervene and speak up safely
  • Disclosures are taken seriously and responded to with belief
  • Support is offered to both those harmed and those causing harm
  • Incidents are recorded and reported (BPRI/Police/Safeguarding) and used to improve practice
  • Equality and inclusion are visible in school culture and leadership
  • Families support schools in delivering key RSE messages
  • Be aware- numbers of reported incidents may increase before they go down as awareness increases

Toolkits and lesson plans

Resources for schools

Resources for young people

Essential reading

Children with SEND

Pupils with SEND are disproportionately at risk of radicalisation, exploitation, abuse and coercion, and at risk of behaving in sexually harmful ways

Effective SEND RSE must:

  • Be explicit (not implied)
  • Use clear, concrete teaching (e.g. rules, scripts, visuals)
  • Be developmentally appropriate but not diluted
  • Address power, consent and gender roles directly

Children may present with:

  • Literal repetition of harmful language from online sources
  • Difficulties understanding social norms, consent, or power
  • Increased vulnerability to manipulation or harmful influence

How to address it:

  • Use clear, concrete language
  • Reinforce expectations frequently and consistently
  • Provide explicit teaching on consent, boundaries, and respect
  • Work closely with families and supporting professionals
  • Support understanding first – while still challenging harmful behaviour.

SEND RSE resource list

Accessible RSE for pupils with SEND is critical. Resources from NSPCC, the Sex Education Forum and national RSE toolkits provide adapted materials that support teaching on consent, healthy relationships and recognising exploitation—key components in challenging misogyny and gender-based harm.

Key message

Misogyny is a safeguarding, equality and inclusion issue, not just a behaviour issue.

Schools play a vital role in prevention through education, and reinforcing social norms by challenging harmful attitudes early and promoting respectful, healthy relationships.

They do this through relational practice, a whole school approach underpinned by evidence based, good quality RSE programmes delivered by well-resourced teaching staff.

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