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 dialogue 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 behaviour 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.
For more information, please contact:
Tony Trueman
British Sociological Association
Tel: 0044 (0)7964 023392
tony.trueman@britsoc.org.uk
Notes:
- Boys’ Impact brings together educational practitioners from across the UK. Established in 2023, the network takes an evidence-based approach to addressing the gap in GCSE outcomes for young men who are eligible for free school meals.
- The British Sociological Association’s Annual Conference takes place from 23 to 25 April 2025, with more than 700 papers presented. The BSA is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Company Number: 3890729. Registered Charity Number 1080235 www.britsoc.co.uk
- Established in 1883, Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) is a creative specialist arts institution offering courses in art, design media and performance on the south coast of England in Bournemouth, Dorset. AUB’s students and graduates are recognised and sought after by creative industries with a quarter of the Best New Creatives list 2024 comprised entirely of AUB students. The University is also at the forefront of creative research with more than 12% of AUB’s research now being classed as ‘world-leading’ with a further 42% being classed ‘internationally excellent’, according to REF 2021. Novuna, a leading financial services company, looked into nearly 10 million LinkedIn profiles of current UK entrepreneurs – alumni that held job titles such as ‘Founder’, ‘CEO’, or ‘Managing Director’. This research concluded that, out of 121 universities in the country, 4.72% of the alumni graduated from AUB between 2003 and 2022. This places AUB 16th in the UK, as well as one of the top specialist arts universities outside of London, for entrepreneurship. A recipient of two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise for Costume and Film, the University is home to Bournemouth Film School, with award-winning alumni including Oscar and BAFTA award-winning director Simon Beaufoy, fashion stylist Twinks Burnett and Turner Prize-winning photographer Wolfgang Tillmans. AUB’s award-winning campus includes specialist state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, including a purpose-built Drawing Studio designed by alumnus Professor Sir Peter Cook RA, and cutting-edge technology lab Innovation Studio, which houses world-class design, fabrication, and 3D printing technologies. 2024/25 Awards: People & Planet’s University League 2025 – 20th place / 1st Compared to Universities with less than 5,000 students, AUB ranks highest in the UK. Green Gown Awards UK & Ireland (TBC November 2024) Finalist – Sustainability Institution of the Year Finalist – 2030 Climate Action – Travel to AUB Independent Advisor Solar Panels – UK’s Greenest Universities Silver – Commitment to renewable energy (awarded July 2024) Inclusive Employers Standard (IES) – Silver award (the highest-ranking university awarded in 2024) Dr Alex Blower: Founder, Boys’ Impact https://www.boysimpact.com Alex has an established reputation as a leading voice in national conversations relating to masculinity, education, inequality and access to Higher Education. Since completing his doctoral research which focused inequality and access to university for white working-class boys in the West Midlands in 2020, he has been a regular speaker at national conferences of the British Sociological Association, British Educational Research Association, Forum for Access and Continuation, and Higher Education Liaison Officers Association, delivering talks, workshops and training with practitioners across the education sector. In 2023, he founded Boys’ Impact, a UK wide network of educators who are committed to taking an evidence-based approach in closing the gap in educational outcomes for young men who are eligible for Free School Meals. His primary interests centre on how creative research methods can be mobilised as tools to understand issues related to masculinity and inequality in education. His first monograph, Lost Boys: How Education is Failing Young Working-Class Men, will be published by Policy Press in the summer of 2025.A rts University Bournemouth www.aub.ac.uk @inspiredaub
