Misogyny can be damaging for everyone – how to talk to boys about it

Government research suggests that the sexual harassment of girls by boys is extremely widespread in English schools. The highest rates of reports of sexual abuse by people under 25 come from girls aged 15 to 17.

The government’s Women and Equalities Committee recently emphasised the need to combat misogyny through work with young men and boys. I contributed as an expert witness to the committee on relationships, sex and health education and my input was quoted in its report.

It is vitally important that we talk about misogyny with boys. The committee’s findings suggest that relationships and sex education at schools is not targeted enough to boys’ needs, and that they may not have a full understanding of what sexual harassment is. Boys may feel shut out of the conversation, leaving them feeling blamed but unable to contribute to solutions.

One key aspect of this that is often overlooked is that misogyny is damaging to boys, too. The idealisation of hyper masculinity and the expectation that men should be heterosexual, dominant and emotionless leaves little room for boys to explore their identity.

If you are a parent, you may be uncertain about how to raise this topic with your son. This may also be true if you work with young men and boys.

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