Teachers will be trained to spot the signs of misogyny and address it in the classroom as part of the government’s long-awaited strategy to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade.
The plans, which focus on preventing the radicalization of young men, will be unveiled on Thursday, after being postponed three times this year.
Students will be taught topics such as consent, the dangers of sharing intimate images, how to identify positive role models and challenge harmful myths about women and relationships.
The £20 million package will also include a new helpline for teenagers to get support if they have concerns about abuse in their own relationships.
The government hopes that by tackling the early roots of misogyny it will prevent young people from becoming violent abusers.
Under the new plans, schools will send high-risk students for extra care and support, including behavioral courses to address their biases against women and girls.
“Every parent should be able to trust that their daughter is safe at school, online and in their relationships, but too often, toxic ideas take hold early and go unchallenged,” Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said of the new measures.
“This government is intervening earlier: supporting teachers, calling out misogyny and intervening when warning signs appear to stop the damage before it starts.”
The taxpayer will foot £16m of the bill, while the government says it is working closely with philanthropists and other partners on an innovation fund for the remaining £4m.
Almost 40% of teenagers in relationships are victims of abuse, domestic abuse charity Reduction the Risk has said.
Online influencers are partly blamed for fueling this: almost one in five 13- to 15-year-olds have a positive view of self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate, according to a YouGov survey.
In response to the government’s plans, some teachers said schools are already doing the kind of work the measures outline.
“While we welcome any initiative that prioritizes healthy relationships and consent education, it is important to recognize that schools like Beacon Hill Academy in Dudley have been doing this work effectively for years,” said principal Sukhjot Dhami.
“The challenge is not to start from scratch – it is to ensure that this £20m is spent wisely and in partnership with the schools that are already leading the way.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said it was positive that the government recognized the importance of training and supporting school staff.
Whiteman said that “schools are only part of the solution”, and that government, health, social care, police and parents also have “a significant contribution to make”.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, welcomed the government’s approach, but added that it was also essential that the government “introduce effective measures to prevent at source the spread of misogynistic online content served to young people through social media algorithms.”
Nicola Mclafferty, 42, is a victim of domestic violence and said more needs to be done to teach children about abuse.
“Survivors of domestic abuse, male or female, should go to assemblies and talk to the children about it, tell them a little bit about their lived experience, enough so that it doesn’t scare them, but is fairly objective.
“There needs to be more people talking and knowing.”
The government has already announced a number of measures in its strategy, including the introduction of specialized investigators across police forces to monitor cases of rape and sexual crimes.
He says staff will have proper training to understand the mindset of abusers and victims.
Also announced was the implementation of domestic abuse protection orders, which have been trialled in England and Wales over the past year.
Court-issued orders mean people can be banned from contacting a victim, visiting their home or posting harmful content online, and can also be used in cases involving coercive or controlling behaviour. Failure to comply with an order is a criminal offence.
Other measures include better NHS support for child and adult survivors of abuse, and increased funding for councils to provide safe housing for survivors of domestic abuse.
Two television adverts will also be launched on Saturday featuring a range of sports personalities and celebrities calling for an end to violence against women and girls.
The domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, Dame Nicole Jacobs, said the commitments “do not go far enough” for the number of people suffering abuse to begin to fall.
He added: “The current strategy correctly recognizes the magnitude of this challenge and the need to address the misogynistic attitudes that underpin it, but the level of investment to achieve this is grossly insufficient.”
