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# Manosphere making classrooms toxic
- URL: https://redflag.org.au/article/manosphere-making-classrooms-toxic/
- Published: 2026-10-18T06:56:09.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-18T06:56:09.000Z
- Description: Sexist behaviour is contributing to the burn-out of teachers in a profession already facing shortages due to poor pay and unmanageable workloads.
- Author: Ridah Hassan
- Tags: Gender and Sexuality, Australia

> *“I had male students threatening to rape the female students consistently. They would play ‘rape marry kill’ and used my own name frequently in their ‘game’.”*

> *“Students saying ‘good girl’ to teachers.”*

> *“Less respect for female staff vs male in behaviour—even with the same approaches they instantly listen to males more. More inappropriate jokes—racism, homophobic and sexist jokes with little consequences. Visible \[and\] audible dismissal/rejection of female staff to their faces when they appear to take classes.”* 

> These are quotes from a Monash University report which has cast light on the disturbing sexist conditions faced by teachers and students in primary and secondary schools across the country. *Duty of Care: Teachers’ experiences of sexism, misogyny and sexual harassment in Australian schools* is based on the testimony of 2,600 educators and reveals the breadth and depth of the crisis. 

A common theme in the report is the lack of respect male students show female teachers. This includes frequent interrupting, ignoring of instructions, mocking and mimicking, speaking disrespectfully and refusing to accept responsibility when challenged about inappropriate behaviour. Physical aggression and intimidation were also reported, along with threats of more serious physical and sexual assault. Male students frequently make “derogatory comments toward females focusing on appearance and worth”, “jokes about gender roles e.g. the kitchen”, “inappropriate sexualised remarks about female bodies, including specifically about peers and/or staff” and “\[making\] sexual noises in the classroom” while female staff are trying to teach.

This behaviour is contributing to the burn-out of teachers in a profession already facing shortages due to poor pay and unmanageable workloads. One respondent put it clearly: “Being the front line and bearing the brunt of misogyny is exhausting and erodes self-worth”. According to the report, 77 percent of teachers say that sexism and misogyny have a “negative” or “very negative” impact on their wellbeing, and more than 50 percent of female teachers report that they either “occasionally” or “frequently” consider leaving the profession because of it. And the situation is getting worse—both primary and secondary teachers reported that gendered violence on the part of students had increased significantly in the previous twelve months.

Given adult teachers are feeling undermined, threatened and belittled by male students’ behaviour, the impact on teenage girls should be cause for immediate action. According to the report, “Younger students are comfortable using misogynistic language without thought e.g. calling girls in class a ‘slut’ ‘whore’ because they won’t share a highlighter”, and “Women/girls in class are okay with being treated with misogyny as this is seen as ‘normal’ now. They do not retaliate and internalise, making emotional regulation hard”. Another teacher observed: “Female students are scared to speak out and express their opinions in class with males who chastise them. I am noticing students are very hesitant to participate in discussion these days whereas it used to be female students being quite eager to share ideas and answer questions. Female students appear angrier than in the past as well”.

Male students direct sexist and misogynistic language towards their female peers freely, entrenching a toxic gender divide among students. Again, the statistics bear this out, with 80 percent of respondents agreeing that the behaviour is having a negative impact on student wellbeing. In observing and being victim to male students’ sexism—including constantly disrupting learning and making spaces hostile—girls are being socialised to accept dehumanising language and treatment and to make themselves small targets by withdrawing and accommodating to the selfish and anti-social behaviour of boys. 

And though there are undoubtedly some who are willing to challenge their peers’ appalling behaviour, it is an unacceptable environment for female students to be expected to navigate every day, while at the same time trying to do the actual tasks of deciphering Shakespeare or learning calculus. It is well established that students learn best when they feel safe, supported and respected. This is currently not the case for female students at Australian schools. 

### **Misogyny and the rise of the ‘manosphere’**

Further evidence of the problem of sexism among male students is the frequent cases of particularly egregious behaviour that make the news. Student from [Scots College](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/13/three-teen-boys-charged-after-alleged-sexual-assault-of-14-year-old-girl-in-sydneys-east-ntwnfb?ref=redflag.org.au) and [St Gregory’s College](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/20/three-boys-charged-alleged-rape-teenage-girl-sydney-ntwnfb?ref=redflag.org.au) in Sydney, for example, are currently facing court for a series of alleged crimes including sexual assault, rape and common assault for two separate incidents in July and August. [An independent cultural review of St Kevin’s College](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-16/st-kevins-college-release-cultural-review-sexism/100296922?ref=redflag.org.au) in 2021 confirmed that sexist and misogynistic behaviour and views were “still clearly an issue” at the school. It was commissioned following an incident in 2019 when St Kevins students horrified the public with their [misogynistic chants on a Melbourne tram.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAymH90DE6U&ref=redflag.org.au) In 2020, a scavenger hunt organised by students at the Shore School, one of Sydney’s most elite institutions, was [leaked ](https://www.mamamia.com.au/shore-school-muck-up-day/?ref=redflag.org.au)and found to contain activities such as “Get with an Asian chick”, “Play porn out loud on public transport” and “Get with a chick which is 3/10 or lower (photo of the chick + the dirty work)”. And in 2024, [male students at Yarra Valley Grammar](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-06/sexist-offensive-student-list-melbourne-yarra-valley-grammar/103808062?ref=redflag.org.au) were suspended when their rating system of female students was discovered. 

As many respondents to the Monash University survey noted, an important driving force of this sexism is the rise of the online “manosphere”. This consists of the open use of misogynistic language, the revival and confident reiteration of conservative gender-stereotypes, the glorification of aggressive and violent masculinity and the dehumanisation and objectification of women. It is readily accessible through various online channels, with algorithms actively targeting boys and young men. More than 87 percent of teachers noted the influence of these ideas on the boys they teach, with one describing how they have to be careful “when discussing issues regarding female contribution to society or feminist ideas so as not to provoke students to make manosphere style commentary”. Many say they face “hostile attitudes toward discussions of women’s rights and social equity” from male students, who deny systemic issues of gender inequality, question the relevance of discussing these topics, and approach them with defensiveness and aggression rather than empathy, curiosity or an openness to learning.

These sexist and misogynistic ideas resonate with boys and young men not just because they offer a sense of power and superiority in a world where feelings of powerless and inadequate are endemic. But also because they are reinforced and validated by the wider organisation of society. 

### **Women’s oppression under capitalism** 

Well before the manosphere existed, capitalism was systematically denigrating women and their contribution to society. Women’s work and intellectual and creative contributions to society is and has long been devalued and belittled. Women are concentrated in low-status jobs and are paid less on every measure in comparison with men. They are dehumanised and objectified in pop culture, advertising and pornography, with their bodies used as props to sell things, often on the basis of making women feel they are ugly, unwanted impositions on the world unless they fix themselves with diet, cosmetics, medication, surgeries. And that they only have value insofar as they are appealing to men. Women’s wants, needs, questions and ideas are a side show in much of public and private life—in the workplace, within their families and relationships, and in popular culture. 

Women exist to be judged, policed, made the butt of jokes, dismissed, controlled and purchased. In this context, it is no wonder young people are susceptible to the extreme sexism and misogyny that is now available to them online. 

The fact that sexism in schools and society is on the rise is connected to an interesting and challenging fact of the situation; views on gender and gendered behaviour are going backward by many measures at the same time that there is an increase in curriculum content to educate children about sexual and romantic relationships, consent, stereotypes, and the reality of the sexual and domestic violence epidemic. This gap between intention and reality highlights the limitation of education programs in the absence of addressing the structural, social and economic roots of women’s oppression. 

This is also why it is not just young people who hold sexist views. A Melbourne University report, [Misogyny, Online Radicalisation, and Youth Extremism in Australia](https://figshare.unimelb.edu.au/articles/report/Misogyny%5FOnline%5FRadicalisation%5Fand%5FYouth%5FExtremism%5Fin%5FAustralia/33250176?file=67531593&ref=redflag.org.au) which asked 1,122 young people aged 13 to 17 and 2,307 adults about their views on gender, sex and sexual relationships found similar issues across age groups. For example, about 31 percent of males from each generation surveyed (Gen Z, Gen X, Millennials, Boomers) agreed with the statement: “Attempts to give equal opportunities to women in Australia have gone too far”. A quarter of both Gen Z and Gen X males agreed that: “The husband is the head of the household and the wife should be obedient to him”, and more than 23 percent of Gen Z males and 20 percent of Millennial males responded positively to the statement “Sometimes women bother me just by being around”. 

### **The right weaponises misogyny**

The response to the Monash University report has not been across the board soul-searching about how to combat this epidemic of sexism and support female educators and students forced to contend with such hostility. Rather, the right has seen it as an opportunity to attack teachers and engage in a culture war in which they identify men as the victims. 

Liberal leader Angus Taylor claimed that the Respectful Relationships Education program, which aims to facilitate discussions about respect and gender equality, as well as consent in relationships, is simply teachers “pushing an agenda”. Nationals’ troglodyte Matt Canavan agreed that the program is “anti-boy”. Breaking stereotypes in her own way by proving it's not *only* men who are misogynists, Pauline Hanson claimed that teachers are “brain-washing” students with these discussions about sexism, gender-roles, consent and how to navigate relationships. 

Their agenda is to demonise social movements that aim to advance the interests at those at the bottom of capitalism’s pecking order—in this case, women. If women can break free from the box they are put in, there’s no reason that other workers, refugees, migrants and others can’t question and challenge the status quo which oppresses them too. And this is not good for profit-making and strengthening the nation that facilitates it, which is the key concern of the right.

### **Fighting back**

The conclusions of the Duty of Care report’s authors are a far cry from those of the right. Their official recommendations include reference to the pay and conditions of teachers being crucial to redressing the crisis of sexism in schools. If teachers, who are mostly women, were better paid, had better working conditions and if the profession was less denigrated by the media and politicians among others, it would certainly make it more incongruent for students to denigrate teachers in the classroom. 

Other recommendations include facilitating whole-school implementations of Respectful Relationships Education, improving work health and safety requirements in schools, and establishing avenues for compensation if they are breached. It is definitely true that the sexist and misogynistic abuse educators experience at work would not be accepted in most comparable workplaces, and educators should have the right to a safe workplace free from actual or threatened physical or sexual violence. At the moment, schools simply can not guarantee this. More funding for teachers and education support staff, smaller class sizes so complex and challenging behaviours are more manageable, funding for allied health such as social workers and psychologists would all help. More educational and critical discussions about gender and relationships in schools would also be welcome. 

However, we need to go much further. 

The misogyny in schools is an echo of the misogyny that characterises the rest of society, and is being normalised by the far right that is gaining ground at an alarming rate. We need an organised fightback against this. We need a political movement that promotes a vision of society that is contrary to the divisive prejudices the right thrives on—that promotes the common interest between workers, the strength that comes from unity and solidarity with the oppressed, and the power that can back that up when workers stand together and take action. We need to use every instance of resistance to reassert women’s rights, fight for dignity and equality. Women will not achieve dignity and equality in schools or anywhere else as long as profit rules and people are a means to an end. We need a socialist vision and a socialist movement that can offer something completely different.

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*Ridah is a public school teacher in Victoria*