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Teachers to Be Trained to Spot Misogyny as Concerns Grow Over Online Influences
Teachers across the UK are being urged to learn how to identify and challenge misogyny in classrooms, as concerns grow about the impact of online influencers, social media algorithms and harmful gender stereotypes on young people.
Education leaders and safeguarding experts warn that misogynistic attitudes are increasingly surfacing among school-age boys, often influenced by online content that promotes hostility towards women, rigid ideas of masculinity, and conspiracy-driven views about relationships, power and gender roles.
Why Schools Are Being Asked to Act
Recent reports from teachers’ unions and child protection charities suggest that sexist language, harassment and dismissive attitudes towards girls are becoming more common in schools. In some cases, teachers have reported students repeating talking points from online personalities who frame women as manipulative, inferior or responsible for men’s personal failures.
The Department for Education has acknowledged that schools play a crucial role in tackling harmful beliefs early, before they escalate into bullying, harassment or violence. While misogyny is not yet a standalone criminal offence, experts argue that early intervention in schools is essential for long-term cultural change.
What Misogyny Can Look Like in the Classroom
Training materials being discussed for teachers focus on recognising subtle as well as overt signs of misogyny, including:
• Repeated use of sexist jokes or derogatory language about girls and women
• Beliefs that women owe men attention, sex or obedience
• Hostility towards female authority figures, including teachers
• Dismissal of topics like consent, equality or gender-based violence
• Sharing or praising online content that promotes male superiority
Safeguarding specialists stress that misogyny often overlaps with other forms of extremism and can act as a gateway to more radical beliefs.
The Role of Social Media and Online Influencers
A major concern is the influence of social media platforms where young users are frequently exposed to content that rewards outrage and provocation. Algorithms can quickly push teenagers towards increasingly extreme material, reinforcing harmful ideas about women and relationships.
Teachers are being encouraged not only to challenge the language used in school, but also to help students critically assess what they see online—questioning sources, motivations and the difference between confidence and cruelty.
Training, Not Punishment
Education professionals emphasise that the goal is not to criminalise students or label them as extremists, but to educate and redirect. Proposed training programmes focus on:
• Having confident, calm conversations about gender and respect
• Addressing misinformation without shaming pupils
• Supporting boys who may feel isolated, angry or misled
• Empowering girls to report concerns safely
Unions argue that teachers also need clearer guidance, time, and pastoral support to handle these sensitive issues effectively.
A Wider Cultural Challenge
Campaigners say schools cannot solve the problem alone. Parents, tech companies and policymakers all have a role to play in limiting harmful content and promoting healthier role models. However, many believe classrooms are one of the few places where young people from all backgrounds can be reached consistently.
As debates continue about online safety and gender-based violence, training teachers to spot and challenge misogyny is increasingly seen not as political, but as a necessary safeguarding step—aimed at protecting both girls and boys from the long-term consequences of hate-filled ideas taking root early in life.
Attached is a news article regarding teachers learning how to spot misogyny
Article written and configured by Christopher Stanley
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