Labour are planning to send boys as young as 11 for anti-misogyny courses by using the « full power of the state » to stamp out male violence against women and girls. The proposed Orwellian-sounding « behaviour change programmes » to target what’s been described as « challenging deep-rooted misogynist influences » have been announced by safeguarding minister Jess Phillips.
Ms Phillips has been criticised this year by abuse survivors for her handling of setting up a national inquiry into the grooming gang scandal, which involved groups of men targeting mainly young girls. The minister has now pledged to roll out programmes in schools which will « deploy the full power of the state to introduce the largest crackdown to stop violence perpetrated against women and girls ».
The Times reports the programmes will cover peer pressure, coercive behaviour, online harassment, stalking, image-based abuse and pornography. It’s said teachers, as well as contractors, could take part in pilots of the schemes in secondary schools, but there is also an option to extend the lessons to primary schools.
According to the Times, young girls could also be sent on the courses as well as boys, if they are deemed to have displayed harmful behaviour. A helpline will also be set for teenagers to contact about concerns they have with their relationships.
Labour have been keen to push the idea of misogyny as being a sinister force in British society, with Sir Keir Starmer previously saying « every parent should be able to trust that their daughter is safe at school, online and in her relationships », adding: « Too often toxic ideas are taking hold early and going unchallenged. This is about protecting girls and driving forward education and conversation with boys and young men, which is a responsibility we owe to the next generation. »
Elsewhere in the Cabinet, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves said in November she was « sick of people mansplaining how to be chancellor to me » in an apparent bid to blame misogynistic attitudes for criticism of her choices in the Budget. Mansplaining is a term used to decribe when a male offers an explanation to a woman, typically in a condescening or patronising manner.
The new strategy proposed for schools will also teach boys to identify « positive role models » and challenge what ministers described as « unhealthy myths about women and relationshiops ».
Research from Labour found that 70% of school teachers at secondary level claimed they had actively dealt with sexual violence or harassment between pupils.
Dame Nicole Jacobs, the domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, said: « Today’s strategy rightly recognises the scale of this challenge and the need to address the misogynistic attitudes that underpin it, but the level of investment to achieve this falls seriously short. »
The schools taking part in the teacher-training pilot scheme will be chosen next year.
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