A recent survey commissioned by BBC News has highlighted a significant prevalence of misogynistic behaviour among secondary school pupils in England, revealing that over a third of teachers have encountered such conduct in the past week. The survey involved approximately 6,000 secondary teachers and was conducted using the Teacher Tapp tool. Alarmingly, many educators reported feeling inadequately equipped to address these issues, with about 40% expressing this concern.
The findings come amid growing apprehension from teachers and parents regarding the concerning exposure of children, particularly boys, to misogynistic and violent content online. Sukhjot Dhami, the head teacher at Beacon Hill Academy in Dudley, noted that while the Netflix drama "Adolescence" has raised awareness among parents, misogynistic attitudes are not new. "We've always combated those views," he stated, emphasising the school's commitment to tackling derogatory language and promoting a zero-tolerance policy. He expressed anxiety over the online spaces that normalise hatred and has taken proactive measures by informing parents about harmful online behaviours and the language their children may encounter.
In an effort to identify problematic behaviour early, Beacon Hill Academy employs data from classroom interactions to monitor students' conduct. Instances of sexism, whether verbal or digital, are documented, allowing the safeguarding team to intervene appropriately before issues escalate. One Year 10 pupil, Adam, 14, shared his experiences of being influenced negatively by online content that promotes harmful ideologies. He described the manipulative nature of such videos, which often instruct viewers on traditional masculine behaviour, discouraging emotional expression and impacting mental health. However, after beginning counselling at school, he has gained a newfound understanding that expressing feelings is acceptable.
The survey also found that one in ten teachers were aware of multiple incidents of misogyny occurring among pupils within the last week. In a concerning trend, a majority of teachers with more than five years of experience (61%) reported observing an increase in misogynistic behaviour among students since the commencement of their teaching careers. A noteworthy portion of the educators surveyed (45%) expressed a desire for more guidance from the government on how to tackle this issue effectively, while 40% admitted to being unfamiliar with the current governmental guidelines addressing misogyny in schools.
Discussions surrounding misogyny in school settings have largely centred on boys, yet the impact on female students has gained attention. Research from University College London indicates that teenage girls in England feel significantly less safe at school compared to their male counterparts, a trend exacerbated since the Covid-19 pandemic. Theresa, a 15-year-old student in Year 10, recounted experiences of hearing sexist remarks outside of school, reminding that education about respectful treatment towards women remains vital. "They did do an assembly about how to treat women and not to objectify them," she noted, highlighting efforts within schools to promote awareness and positive behaviour.
Source: Noah Wire Services