ASTI: 'Exponential growth' in misogynistic comments from students
In an interview ahead of a special Prime Time programme tonight, Kieran Christie said "there is quite a growth in the extent to which online content is having a negative influence on young males' perception of women and of girls. And it's very pervasive, unfortunately, in the end, very regrettable."
"Certainly in the last five years, it has grown exponentially as a problem," he said, "and it's becoming more and more unmanageable in schools."
He said ASTI members have raised concerns involving gestures, use of online accounts by students to harass teachers, and "in the more extreme cases, it involves things like videos and sexual comments and all the rest of it."
Mr Christie's comments were echoed by the Director of the National Association of Principals and Deputies (NAPD) Paul Crone.
He told Prime Time that "there are huge issues in relation to the online content that students, and particularly young males, are experiencing and the consequent attitude that they have towards girls and even female teachers.
"The worrying part for us of all of that is that these behaviors are seen as normal by a cohort of young males. They don't see anything wrong with it because it's what they're experiencing online. It's what they're being told."
In recent weeks the ASTI and NAPD circulated to their members a Prime Time survey on perceptions about the impact of related social media content in schools.
Results from that survey show more than 85% of respondents said they believe online content about gender roles and masculinity is negatively influencing teenagers' perceptions of women and girls.
The anonymous survey was sent to members at the request of Prime Time by the four main teaching unions, the aforementioned ASTI and NAPD, as well as the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) and Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO).
1,200 responses were received in the week after it was published, in which more than 1,100 respondents described themselves as either secondary school teachers or principals. The others said they worked in primary schools.
Through the survey and interviews with teachers, union officials, and experts, Prime Time sought to ascertain whether there has been a real-world impact on the views of young people from the emergence of social media trends and influencers who promote negative forms of masculinity.
Despite many positive forms of masculinity, certain online influencers who have come to prominence in recent years argue that men's role within modern society has been unfairly suppressed, and that women should be submissive and men dominant in both personal relationships and wider society.
Respondents were provided with a short description of the views held by such influencers and asked a series of multiple-choice questions about whether they believe such views are shaping young people's perceptions of gender roles, masculinity, or misogyny.
Respondents had the option to agree or disagree, or say anything from 'not concerned' to 'very concerned' on all questions. As with all online anonymous surveys, there are limitations in how the results can be interpreted, and they should be considered more indicative than definitive.
Asked 'how concerned are you about the influence of individuals and content covered by this survey upon students or pupils?- 56% said 'very concerned' and a further 31% said 'somewhat concerned'.
Some 5% said 'not very concerned', while 2% responded 'not concerned at all'.
The survey also attempted to understand if respondents perceived that views about gender roles and masculinity held by such influencers were becoming more prevalent.
When asked 'Over the last five years, have you begun to see or hear more concerning discussions or comments linked to the topics covered in this survey within your school environment?' some 78% of respondents said 'yes, much more', or 'yes, somewhat more'.
Almost half – 48% - of respondents said they frequently or occasionally witness comments or behaviour directed specifically towards young women or female students which they perceive to be linked to such online content.
A further 21% said 'yes but rarely'.
Many respondents - some 47% - said they have personally been subjected to concerning behaviour or related comments from students in the classroom or the school environment.
The most common behaviours identified by respondents in the survey were disrespectful language, gender stereotyping, and bullying and harassment.
When asked about the prevalence of the views in the school environment, a third (34%) said the issue was limited to a small number of students, 31% said it spanned several year groups, and nearly one in five (19%) said it affected the entire school.
The results of the survey echo similar conclusions in academic and other research conducted in the Ireland, the UK, and elsewhere.
A survey published last month by UK teaching union NASUWT found that female teachers were more likely to regularly receive verbal abuse than their male counterparts. The union noted that dozens of teachers had referenced the influencer Andrew Tate as directly influencing male pupils' behaviour.
A 2024 study by University College London (UCL) and Kent University also found through interviews with young people and school leaders that "misogynist ideologies" that young people are exposed to online have become embedded in youth culture, "creating new challenges for schools".
Researchers at Dublin City University (DCU) last year also focused on the role of social media companies in pushing related content to male teenagers, and noted through the use of test accounts that algorithms consistently recommended what the study defined as "male supremacist influencers" to young men on TikTok and YouTube.
In the Prime Time survey, respondents were provided with space to add comments if they wished.
Several respondents highlighted the role of algorithms and the time spent on devices by students as concerns, saying these were key drivers of the issue and that social media companies and regulators should act on them.
"Students have said how hard it is to navigate or get away from this messaging," one respondent said, "even if they report it, it comes back in their algorithm."
"As access to pornographic material is so easy for young males, it is having a major influence in how they perceive women and how they speak about women and treat them," wrote another respondent, "social media are exposing young men to vile pornographic/violent/misogynistic content on a daily basis."
"Male misogyny amongst students isn't new. It has been brewing for years. But is now more mainstream due to the Tates... etc," said another.
"They believe everything they see online… boys increasingly view women as objects or individuals who should 'obey' them," another added.
Others provided examples of incidents in which male students made concerning remarks to other female students.
One said a male student asked a female student if she would "carry a knife to protect herself on 'World Rape Day'", referencing a TikTok hoax claiming that rape would be legal for a day on 24 April.
"I often hear male students making sexualised comments to female students," another said "we had to remove a female student from the school after targeted harassment by boys."
Kieran Christie of the ASTI says social media companies, government and regulators should work to address the problem.
"It is the experience of our members that the vast majority of young people are great people," he said, "and we can be very thankful that we have a whole new generation coming forward of wonderful young people.
"They're growing up in an online world and they need to be protected to some extent, but guided also in relation to navigating that whole world.
"Certainly government have a major role to play, in particular working with the various social media companies in bringing forward measures that safeguard young people.
"We are aware that the bulk of the major social media companies are here in Ireland. So we have a natural platform there to work with these companies, to ask them to regulate, and perhaps enforce their regulation, in relation to what they provide - and allow to be accessible - to young people," Mr Christie told Prime Time.
Paul Crone of the NAPD said it "takes a whole system response to be able to tackle this" but that "the focus does need to be on regulation."
He added that the "new SPHE curriculum, which some people have objected to, is a really important part of the school's response to this."
The Teachers' Union of Ireland also echoed calls for stronger social media regulation saying there is now an "urgent need for significantly stronger legislation and proper Government regulation in the area of social media."
"The Department of Education must also ensure that the required policies and safeguards are in place in school communities to protect students and teachers from such attitudes and behaviours."
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