Kenneth Glad
Schools are facing a problem that begins on screens but does not stay there. Teachers say it is now affecting discipline, safety and how pupils treat one another.
A boy tells a female teacher he does not have to listen to her. Another repeats that girls belong in the kitchen.
In some classrooms, teachers say references to online misogynistic influencers have moved from phones into lessons, corridors and playgrounds.
According to HuffPost UK, teachers in Britain say they are seeing more sexist language and more open disrespect toward women and girls, including among primary-age pupils.
The concern is supported by findings from the University of York, published in PLOS ONE, and by survey work from UNISON and UK Feminista.
Charlotte Teagus, an assistant headteacher and safeguarding lead at Overton Grange School, has seen an increase in sexist and misogynistic remarks, often linked to what pupils encounter online.
Educator Rebecca Leigh told HuffPost UK she had noticed boys as young as 11 or 12 dismissing girls’ opinions, making insulting jokes and pushing back against lessons on gender equality.
“It feels different from a few years ago, like they’re more confident in saying these things out loud,” Leigh said.
Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer and online influencer, is frequently cited in discussions about misogynistic content aimed at boys and young men. The York study refers to teachers reporting pupils discussing Tate, incels and other parts of the online “manosphere.”
Teachers describe the daily fallout
The University of York study surveyed 200 teachers in British schools, split evenly between primary and secondary settings. It found that 76% of secondary teachers and 60% of primary teachers were extremely concerned about the influence of online misogyny on pupils.
Teachers told researchers they had heard boys praise misogynistic influencers, make degrading comments and behave inappropriately toward girls and female staff. One teacher said they had heard a pupil discussing “how it would not be rape if nobody found out.”
Other examples were less extreme but still troubling for staff trying to maintain authority. One primary school teacher described a boy telling female staff: “I don’t need to listen to you.”
The schools are not only dealing with isolated remarks. Teachers talk of lost lesson time, safeguarding concerns, disputes between pupils and pressure on female staff expected to challenge behaviour while also becoming targets of it.
The York research found that teachers most often described girls as victims of the behaviour, rather than participants in it. Female pupils were reported to have faced degrading comments, intimidation and unwanted sexualised conduct.
Some teachers said girls became anxious, angry or reluctant to attend school because of what boys might say or do.
Laura Gowers, a former secondary teacher, told HuffPost UK: “When Tate is mentioned, some of the males have laughed and mirrored his thoughts.”
Gowers said schools try to educate pupils about these issues, but teachers have limited control over what children watch outside school. That gap between school rules and online culture is where many educators believe the problem grows.
Findings show a wider problem
The survey by UNISON and UK Feminista found that sexism and sexual harassment were being reported by school support staff across the UK. The findings included sexist language, gender stereotyping, inappropriate comments and harassment directed at both pupils and employees.
According to UNISON, 24% of school staff had witnessed pupils discussing sexist online content. Of those staff, more than half believed this material had changed pupil behaviour.
The union’s findings also suggested that some staff do not report incidents because they feel nothing will change. That detail is important: it points not only to pupil behaviour, but also to whether school systems are trusted to respond.
Christina McAnea, general secretary of UNISON, said: “Parents will be horrified to learn their children are being taught in such toxic environments.”
The Netflix drama Adolescence pushed the issue further into public discussion. HuffPost UK reported in March last year that Prime Minister Keir Starmer supported calls for the series to be shown in schools and Parliament after its creators said it could help start conversations.
Not everyone agreed. In a separate HuffPost UK article, headteacher Alex Crossman argued that showing the programme in schools could backfire without expert guidance.
His concern was that some pupils might not read the drama as a warning. Instead, he warned, it could risk normalising the behaviour it is meant to challenge.
That disagreement reflects a larger problem for schools. Staff are being asked to respond quickly to a fast-moving online culture, but not every teacher has specialist training in misogyny, radicalisation, consent, safeguarding and digital influence.
Schools want practical materials
The York study found that 90% of secondary teachers and 68% of primary teachers said their schools would benefit from dedicated teaching materials on online misogyny.
Teachers suggested direct lessons on misogyny, better online safety education, more staff training, clearer behaviour policies and stronger communication with parents. Some also pointed to the need for pupils to understand consent, empathy and the real-world impact of sexist language.
This is not simply a question of punishing pupils after something goes wrong. Many teachers appear to be asking for earlier intervention, before online slogans become classroom behaviour.
The challenge is making those lessons age-appropriate. What works for sixth-form students will not necessarily work for primary pupils, yet the research suggests younger children cannot be left out of the conversation.
HuffPost UK also reported on parents confronting early signs of misogynistic online influence at home. One mother described challenging her young son after he repeated a hostile stereotype about women, choosing discussion and critical questioning rather than only punishment.
Family psychotherapist Fiona Yassin told HuffPost UK: “It’s an essential topic of discussion for all children.”
Her advice focused on open conversations, curiosity and helping children question what they see online. That approach matters because banning one platform or one influencer rarely removes the wider pipeline of clips, memes and peer sharing.
For schools, the clearest statistic may be the demand for help: Nine in 10 secondary teachers in the York study wanted dedicated materials. For many staff, the problem is already in the room before the lesson begins.
Sources: HuffPost UK, UNISON, UK Feminista, University of York, PLOS ONE
