Nearly one third of teen boys say attempts to give equal opportunities to women have gone too far, new research from the University of Melbourne has found, with young people more likely than older generations to hold hostile attitudes towards women.
Close to 25 per cent of teen boys aged 13-17 who were surveyed believed feminism is damaging to society and should be resisted with violence if necessary, while 30 per cent believed men had more of a right to a job than women when jobs are scarce.
The study of 1,122 young people aged 13-17 and 2,307 adults compared attitudes on women, gender equality, online influences and violent extremism, finding young people’s hostile attitudes to women are being reflected in classroom behaviour.
The study also surveyed more than 500 school teachers.
“These attitudes were far more prevalent among the young people surveyed, and of everything we measured, these hostile views were the single strongest predictor of support for violent extremism,” study author Dr Sara Meger said.
Young people’s attitudes towards women were associated with the online content they were consuming, the study found.
“Engagement with ‘manosphere’ content, pornography and online dating showed the strongest links to misogynistic views,” Dr Meger said.
Teenage girls were also more likely than older generations of women to agree that marriage entitles a husband to sex with his wife, even if she doesn’t want to.
“This study shows that the problems with misogyny are structural, not individual,” Dr Meger said.
“What begins as hostility towards women does not stay there. These attitudes are the single strongest predictor of support for violent extremism, which makes this a national security issue, not only a social one.”
CEO of Our Watch, Patty Kinnersly, said the study’s findings reinforced the need for earlier prevention to tackle these structural issues facing young people.
“This study adds to the growing evidence that misogynistic attitudes are linked to real-world violence and harm,” Kinnersly said.
“The good news is these attitudes are not inevitable, and we know what helps prevent them from taking hold. Given these attitudes can form during adolescence, prevention has to start earlier.”
There are a number of policy recommendations included in the report, including earlier respectful relationship education, recognising misogyny within counter-terrorism approaches, and better regulation of online platforms and algorithms.
CEO of Teach Us Consent Chanel Contos, who has spearheaded a campaign to allow individuals to opt in to algorithms on social media, said the study shows how harmful online content can be.
“This research reflects what we see through our work with young people,” Contos said.
“Our social media feeds and algorithms have become fertile ground for content that promotes violence against women and girls, and we’re seeing the consequences unfold in schools and communities across the country.”