New project seeks IEU help to tackle toxic masculinity in schools

A new project from Monash University aims to help secondary school teachers tackle the influence of harmful online ideologies on young boys and men.

The two-year project, Supporting secondary school teachers to address online spaces as pathways to gender-based violence for boys and men: Interventions to tackle the influence of the ‘manosphere’, will establish school-based programs to identify and tackle the harms of online misogyny and gender-based violence in schools.

Notorious influencers or ‘manfluencers’ are perpetuating harmful ideologies around sexism and misogyny which are affecting boys’ behaviour in the classroom. The network of social media communities surrounding them, labelled the ‘Manosphere’, is characterised by anti-feminist rhetoric and gender-based discrimination.

Lead researcher Dr Naomi Pfitzner, Deputy Director of the Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre, says gender-based violence is a ‘national emergency’.

‘It is also preventable, and educators and schools can play a pivotal role in promoting cultural change and ending gender-based violence.’

She cites a recent incident in Victoria where male students ranked female students according to their physical attractiveness and put them in categories like ‘object’ and ‘unrapeable’.

She says to create lasting change, ‘we have to challenge and disrupt traditional gender roles and stereotypes at every age’.

‘Addressing the social conditions that support gender-based violence to occur and creating social change requires comprehensive effort across every setting in our community. This requires work in early childhood with educators and parents to build’s children’s resilience to rigid gender stereotypes.

‘This work needs to continue in adolescence to address the harmful influence of the Manosphere and online misogyny on young boys’ and men’s practices of masculinity.

‘This new research responds to calls from educators for more professional development and learning in this space.’

The Monash project will involve three phases over 18 months. The first phase involves in-depth research into the influence of manosphere content on Australian boys and young men. This data will guide focus groups of young Australians to explore their interactions with manosphere content both online and offline.

In the second phase, workshops with secondary school staff across Australia will identify the most effective content and delivery methods for a new pilot professional learning program addressing the manosphere’s classroom impact.

The final phase will pilot and evaluate this program with teachers, ensuring it meets their needs and effectively combats toxic masculinity in schools.

‘We are at a critical juncture for addressing the links between misogyny and men’s use of gender-based violence,’ says Dr Pfistner.

‘Our research-backed project aims to prevent these dangerous ideologies from taking root and to support teachers in creating safer, more equitable classrooms.’

Schools and staff: Get involved

Dr Pfistner is seeking teachers and school staff to participate in the pilot program in 2025. The professional learning program will be delivered free of charge and uses a train-the-trainer model to minimise interruptions to schools releasing staff from scheduled duties.

Link: rb.gy/twgt0t

Contact: Dr Naomi Pfitzner: naomi.pfitzner@monash.edu