New research finds children exposed to normalised misogyny in everyday life

Misogyny is increasingly evident in children’s everyday lives, including on public transport, in education settings, and online, yet it is often normalised or left unchallenged, findings from research by charity Barnardo’s report. The children’s charity interviewed more than 4,000 young people aged 13 to 20 across the UK to explore experiences of online misogynistic content and the impact on attitudes and behaviours. The research highlights the way misogyny affects all genders, with a quarter of girls reporting they had been called degrading names online, while 59% of boys felt pressure to “act tough” and hide their emotions. The findings also show how harmful online behaviours are spilling into everyday life: a quarter of young people had seen private nude images shared without consent, 15% of 13- to 15-year-olds had been asked to send nude photos, and nearly one in five girls had received repeated unwanted messages. Many boys reported feeling unable to challenge sexist behaviour, with concerns about losing peer support, or being excluded from group “banter”.  The ‘Call It What It Is’ campaign led by Barnardo’s calls for urgent action to tackle misogyny both online and offline, ensure young people’s voices are at the centre of solutions, and the creation of safer digital spaces for children and young people. Read more here.