Schoolboys ‘radicalised’ by Andrew Tate assaulting female teachers

Female staff have been forced to endure horrific assaults at the hands of unruly male students, including incidents of upskirting and being treated like “servants.”

Boys are being “radicalised” online by viral misogynistic content, leading to a rise in sexually explicit attacks on female students and teachers.

Experts are warning boys as young as 12 are mimicking the behaviours of “women-hating” influencers in schools.

Victorian teachers have described the “horrible” attacks on females in recent weeks, including boys who took underskirt photos of a female staff member – also known as upskirting.

“The behaviour of boys and attitude towards female staff is disgusting,” one said.

“I’m constantly pulling up Year 8/9 boys for saying slut, hoe and bitch loudly on purpose with the intent of intimidating others.”

Another female teacher said her male students treat her like a “servant”.

Deakin University’s Associate Professor Josh Roose, a political sociologist and expert in extremism, said young boys are being influenced by the “manosphere” – a new term to describe an influx of misogynistic content online.

Controversial TikToker Andrew Tate has influenced young boys to be “radicalised” in their treatment of women. Picture: supplied

“At the heart of the manosphere is backlash towards feminism and an intense dislike of women and women’s rights,” Dr Roose said.

“It’s the view that men should be pre-eminent in society, the primary breadwinner, and that women belong in the home and that the only way to reclaim that power is through the use of force.”

Dr Roose said popular influencers, such as Andrew Tate, promote a “hyper masculine lifestyle”.

“You’ve got muscled guys talking tough, with expensive cars and naked women in the background,” Dr Roose said.

“For young boys – particularly in private boys schools – where hypermasculinity and competitiveness and this idea of winning is central, this is a particularly alluring set of ideas.”

Tate went viral last year when videos of him were posted, in which he blamed rape victims for their attacks and described women as men’s property.

Despite various social media bans and his arrest, the TikTok creator has continued to be linked to a rise in sexist behaviour in schools across the state.

Teenage boys are mimicking misogynistic attitudes from TikTok creator Andrew Tate. Source: TikTok

Teenage boys are mimicking misogynistic attitudes from TikTok creator Andrew Tate. Source: TikTok

Women’s advocate Melinda Tankard Reist said male students are quoting Tate everyday in schools and treating female students “more harshly and aggressively”.

“Girls are increasingly reporting sexual harassment, being groped, subjected to sexual groaning and moaning noises, demands for nudes and threatened with rape if they don’t comply,” she said.

Chief executive of mental health charity the Man Cave Hunter Johnson, who runs healthy masculinity programs in Victorian schools, said teachers are “absolute panic stations”.

“It’s a really tough situation for teachers when they’re understaffed and already doing so much,” he said.

Mr Johnson said boys are mainly consuming the “hateful” content through Tik Tok.

“The algorithms are very unregulated on social platforms, and it just pumps young boys down a funnel and they’re suddenly in a very dark position,” he said.

He said the government needs to impose greater regulations on social media companies.

“We’re going to raise a generation to be angry and entitled,” he said.

“We’re allowing people to access some of the most grotesque, anti-women material, without any regulation, or coaching or guidance whatsoever,” Dr Roose added.