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A new report from the White Ribbon organization has revealed an alarming rise in misogynistic ideologies being spread to young men and boys, which they say can lead to violence against women. White Ribbon is a Canadian non-profit that advocates against gender-based violence and promotes positive behaviours in men, according to its latest strategic plan.
Amongst other data points, the report says educators are worried about sexist and harmful content that boys and young men are exposed to on social media, television and radio. 80 per cent of educators have witnessed sexist or misogynistic behaviours in classrooms towards girls, such as aggression, excluding girls from certain activities, hurtful language and suggesting that women are less intelligent than men.
“I am not surprised about this; it’s been a growing issue for several years. I first noticed this over five years ago when I noticed misogynistic language being increasingly used by youth who were active on social media and gaming platforms,” said Kaitlynn Mendes, Canada Research chair in inequality and gender at Western University.
“What’s especially troubling is that boys who aren’t actively seeking this content are being pulled into it,” said Jake Stika, co-founder and executive director of Next Gen Men, another Canadian non-profit. “It is not a moral failure of boys, it’s a design failure of platforms and a societal failure to give boys better anchors for belonging, purpose, and respect,” he added.
Unfortunately, examples keep showing up in the news that demonstrate the behaviours in the report. In a statement on Sept.18, Josh Morgan, mayor of the city of London, addressed a misogynistic graffiti incident on a bridge in the city that expressed statements like, “Women should be hung,” and “Kill women.”
“There is no place for hatred, intolerance or attempts to intimidate members of our community,” read the mayor’s statement at the time.
“One thing I know is that policymakers are taking this seriously. There is research showing that those who become terrorists and extremists often have a strong link with misogyny. So government sectors like public safety are paying close attention to the manosphere,” said Mendes.
The White Ribbon report states that 71 per cent of Canadian parents of boys are extremely concerned about their children being exposed to hateful online content.
However, professionals in education, mental health and child and youth care say they do not have enough resources and training to help individuals involved in incel or radicalized ideologies.
“It is incredibly difficult to stop the spread because it’s profitable for social media companies. They might express public disgust for people like Andrew Tate, but these folks make them a lot of money; these companies are not interested in our well-being,” said Mendes.
Stika says people are still underestimating “the complexity of boys’ online worlds. We need platform transparency and guardrails to reduce the algorithm’s amplification of harm.”
“Instead of treating boys as stupid for finding these manfluencers, find out what it is that appeals to them, like how to be successful, fit or popular. Manfluencers are tapping into real insecurities among boys and men. How can we help fill those insecurities through other means?” asked Mendes.
According to the White Ribbon report, preventing misogyny and online radicalization starts with educators, parents, and communities by creating resources such as workshops and providing them with the right tools and training.
“Our stance is simple, work with boys, not because they’re the problem, but because they’re part of the solution,” said Stika.
No AI tools were used in the production of this piece
