Sexist language increasing in schools as more boys are exposed to misogyny online

Louisa Clarence-Smith
Tue, 6 February 2024 

A study found 70 per cent of teachers have seen a rise in sexist language in the classroom over the last year -

Sexist language is increasing in schools as more boys are exposed to misogynistic online content, a study has suggested.

Research commissioned by Vodafone found 70 per cent of teachers have seen a rise in sexist language in the classroom over the last year, while 69 per cent of boys have encountered posts promoting misogyny.

The study, commissioned to mark Safer Internet Day, warned that AI-powered algorithms pushing content to boys online was a key part of the problem. The research indicated that hateful content was often being seen when users were searching for other innocent material, such as fitness or gaming content.

The research also found that 42 per cent of parents had heard their sons make inappropriate comments because of what they have seen online, including comments that were sexual, violent or degrading about women and girls.

The study included a survey, carried out by Opinium, of 1,000 parents and boys aged between 11 and 14, as well as a poll of more than 4,000 secondary school teachers.
Hateful ideologies moving offline

Nicki Lyons, chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer at Vodafone UK, said: “Every parent knows being online is part of everyday life for kids today – but it’s imperative we don’t miss the boat on AI when it comes to baking in safety at the start of the journey.”

The research comes as another study, conducted by University College London, the University of Kent and the Association of School and College Leaders, found that social media algorithms were amplifying misogynistic content to teenagers.

Researchers who interviewed young people and school leaders found that hateful ideologies and misogynistic tropes had moved offline and into schools and were becoming embedded in youth culture.

Dr Kaitlyn Regehr, the study’s principal investigator, said “algorithmic processes” on social media sites “target people’s vulnerabilities” and “gamify harmful content”.

“As young people microdose on topics like self-harm, or extremism, to them, it feels like entertainment,” she said.

“Harmful views and tropes are now becoming normalised among young people. Online consumption is impacting young people’s offline behaviours, as we see these ideologies moving off screens and into school yards.

“Further, adults are often unaware of how harmful algorithmic processes function, or indeed how they could feed into their own social media addictions, making parenting around these issues difficult."

‘We need to give children a voice’

Over the weekend, the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey called for social media apps to be banned on smartphones for under-16s, and for searches for inappropriate material to be flagged to parents.

One of Brianna’s killers, Scarlett Jenkinson, who was 15 at the time of the murder, had watched videos of torture and murder online.

New research from the UK Safer Internet Centre found that about three quarters of parents and carers had safety worries as advances in technologies such as AI, virtual reality and new social media apps continue to accelerate.

Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC chief executive, said it was important young people were also given a voice on online safety.

He said: “Today’s children are the first generation to be truly growing up online, but decisions about the online world are still being made without them.

“And while technology is more popular than ever, avoiding online harm has become more complicated. This year’s theme of young people inspiring change draws attention to the importance of adults listening to and acting on the valuable insights and expertise of children.

“If we are to ensure that every child is safe online then we need to give children a voice on what that safety looks like to them.”