Teachers lack time to tackle the influence of online misogynists on their students, research says

Teachers lack the time to talk in-depth to boys and young men who may be influenced by online misogynists, research says.

Researchers surveyed 467 teachers in 39 secondary, primary and further education schools in England to ask about their work with boys and young men in the classroom.

The researchers, Dr. Alex Blower, of Arts University Bournemouth, and Dr. Jon Rainford, a researcher for the network, Boys’ Impact, found that:

• 40% of teachers said they were unable to spend time exploring with boys and young men notions of masculinity.
• Only 33% could recall engaging in a dialog with young men about masculinity in the classroom.

The researchers also ran a focus group of 15 teachers, who told them that even when they found time to discuss masculinity the conversations could be challenging.

One teacher told them, “I heard very toxic language and spoke to the boy. I had to get a male member of staff to join me in the end because it was pointless.”

Another said, “Many students follow Andrew Tate on social media and believe him to be a role model. They feel he is showing masculinity and there is nothing wrong with this. I have spoken to many students about this to explain it is misogyny but, worryingly, there is a reluctance from students to accept this.”

One teacher told the researchers, “When speaking with young men about masculinity they believe strongly in their position and do not accept an alternative viewpoint. The conversation ends with them feeling that they are correct.”

Another said, “Many of the boys scoffed and laughed and found it difficult to have a woman having these conversations with them. Some boys were reflective and mature.”

Dr. Blower told the British Sociological Association annual conference in Manchester today [Thursday, 24 April] that “the way teachers discuss influencers such as Andrew Tate in the classroom is significant and important.

“They exploit very real afflictions experienced among men and boys and use it as fuel for their misogynistic narratives. Algorithms amplify harmful content to boys’ accounts, even if they don’t search for it.

“Teachers believe it is playing an increasing role in misogynistic behavior by young men in education, and affecting relationships between students and teachers.”

The research also provided many examples where teachers had engaged in productive, open conversations about masculinity and misogyny. One said, “We had a really open and frank discussion about sexual assaults, feminism and consent. It was a really positive discussion where the young men felt open to give their personal views and were able to see things from different perspectives. They also opened up about being misjudged.”

Another said, “This was when I was working with a group of disadvantaged boys and talking to them about what does it mean to be a boy, what are the expectations of them by society and how does this make them feel? The boys were quiet at first, but when they felt ‘safe’ the conversation opened up and lots of voices and opinions were shared. The boys commented this was the first time in their school career that they have been able to reflect on what does it mean to be a boy.”

Of the 467 teachers, 425 were in secondary schools, 14 were in further education or sixth-form colleges, 14 were in primary schools, and 23 in other types of provision.

The survey was carried out by Boys’ Impact, a network of teachers and researchers that studies the gap in educational outcomes for boys and young men who receive free school meals.