Top safeguarding training experts give advice on how to tackle misogyny in schools to effectively safeguard children

What is misogyny?

Misogyny is the hatred of women. It can manifest as contempt for, prejudice against or violence towards women and/or girls. Misogyny is rooted in the belief that women are inherently inferior because of their sex. It propagates harmful gender based stereotypes on what a woman should or shouldn’t do in society.

Dr. Richard Anderson, Head of Learning & Development at High Speed Training says: “Misogyny, like other forms of bias, can be both overt and subtle, ranging from casual comments and cat-calling to more extreme acts of violence towards women and girls. It’s crucial that we recognise and challenge all forms of misogyny, no matter how minor they may seem, because when left unaddressed, these behaviours can escalate into more dangerous extremist views and deeply entrenched attitudes.”

Misogyny in schools

When young pupils see sexist content online and then come to school to share and discuss it, they echo the same views and biases. If this is left unchallenged, the attitude is normalised and female pupils are subjected to increasingly misogynistic behaviour.

Misogynistic behaviour in schools can manifest as:

• Cyberbullying
• Sextortion
• Physical violence
• Vulgar language/cat calling
• Sharing intimate images without consent
• Harmful sexual behaviour
• Exclusion of female pupils from certain spaces or groups

Dr Anderson continues: “These behaviours don’t just harm individual students and staff, it creates an entire environment where girls and women can feel unsafe, silenced, and angry.

“It also distorts young people’s understanding of respect, equality, and what healthy relationships should look like.”

How are children exposed to misogyny?

Children can be exposed to misogyny in many different ways. They may live in households where misogynistic views are often expressed and rarely challenged, or they may be exposed to misogynistic content on television or online.

One of the most prominent ways in which children are exposed to misogyny is online via social media. Extremely controversial figures are often idolised by young boys who consume their sexist content and adopt their misogynistic rhetoric. These misogynistic content creators can act as a gateway for many to dive further into the ‘manosphere.’

The manosphere is an online community of different forums, blogs and websites that promote misogyny, opposition to feminism and toxic masculinity. The manosphere ranges in degree of extremity however what can begin as a seemingly harmless interaction with a few websites or Reddit threads that claim to discuss positive masculinity, can quickly descend into violent and aggressive views towards women.

How to tackle misogyny in schools

It’s vital that misogyny in schools is challenged and misogynistic views and opinions undermined. In doing so, schools can help to protect female students and members of staff and change views before they become violent and aggressive. Whilst tackling misogyny is everyone’s responsibility as it manifests in all facets of society, teachers are well placed to educate young people and encourage them to question the veracity of what they see online.

Challenging these views diminishes the power of the echo chamber and reiterates to young people that these views are not only unacceptable, but also that they have no place in the real world. Ways to tackle misogyny in schools include:

• Implementing a whole-school, zero tolerance approach -This can raise standards across the entire school and set the expectation from a young age that misogynistic views will not be tolerated. Challenging misogyny can’t be done in a one off, school wide assembly. It needs to be embedded in all aspects of school life and upheld throughout a child’s school career in order to be effective and to raise standards school wide.
• Learning to recognise the signs - Gaining an understanding of the slang and emojis used to spread misogynistic views enables teachers to recognise and challenge it when they see or hear it.
• Teaching about healthy relationships - Social media and the internet dominate the lives of young people in a way that no other generation has experienced. Subsequently, they can often become immersed in online communities more so than the real world. Teaching children about healthy relationships encourages them to engage with the real world, question what they see online and learn the importance of mutual respect, trust and equality.
• Providing anti-misogyny lessons - By providing anti-misogyny lessons on a regular basis, teachers can tackle toxic masculinity and misogynistic rhetoric. Moreover, children can be taught to recognise the signs of misogyny in others, how to challenge that behaviour and how to spot dangerous content online that can lead to the development of more extreme views.
• Engaging with external educational resources - Tackling these topics can feel daunting for teachers and many can feel out of their depth. However, there are an increasing number of resources available and it’s important that schools engage with and utilise these where possible, rather than avoiding tackling the problem under the guise of inadequate resources.

Dr Anderson continues: “One of the most effective ways to tackle misogyny is through education and training. By building knowledge and understanding, staff can better recognise the signs and respond with confidence.

“Training for educators plays a crucial role, as school staff are often on the front line when it comes to tackling social issues. Training such as Online Safety and Harms, Harmful Sexual Behaviour in Schools, and Prevent Duty Training equip professionals with the tools they need to address misogyny in a meaningful, informed and proactive way to effectively safeguard children and young people in education.”

For more tips and in-depth guidance, visit High Speed Training Hub, or our article: Misogyny in Schools: Guidance for Teachers