Overview

• Two YouGov surveys of roughly 900 parents and over 1,000 teachers report majorities who say misogynistic attitudes among boys have worsened in recent years.
• Secondary schools report the sharpest impact, with 67% of secondary teachers calling it a problem in their own school and frequent weekly comments directed at female pupils and staff reported by many.
• Parents acknowledge the issue more in other children than at home, with only 7% noticing it in their own child compared with 31% seeing it among pupils at their child’s school.
• Influencers are cited as the leading vector, with about four in five teachers pointing to social media personalities and many also highlighting parents and other adult family members as contributors.
• Strong majorities want tougher action from tech firms, broad support emerges for restricting under‑16s from social media and banning smartphones in schools, and most teachers say schools address the issue mainly through PSHE and are doing as much as can reasonably be expected.