Teachers' leaders have warned of a 'masculinity crisis' in UK schools, with misogynistic abuse of female staff on the rise. A survey by the NASUWT union found that almost a quarter of female teachers reported being targeted by a pupil in the past year, the highest proportion in four years.
One teacher said she was called a 'fucking slag', while another reported that a student created nude AI images of her. Other incidents included boys joking about raping girls and laughing when challenged. The proportion of female teachers experiencing misogyny rose from 17.4% in 2023 to 23.4% this year.
Matt Wrack, NASUWT general secretary, described the situation as a 'ticking timebomb' and called for better support and training. 'Over 70% of the teaching profession is female. If female teachers are reporting that they cannot contain gender-based aggression in their classrooms, then we have a ticking timebomb on our hands,' he said.
The National Education Union also raised concerns, linking the rise to extreme online content. Daniel Kebede, NEU general secretary, said: 'Addictive social media algorithms are feeding our children harmful content on a daily basis.' The issue has been highlighted by Louis Theroux's documentary 'Inside the Manosphere' and the drama 'Adolescence'.
Female teachers described being ignored, mocked, and patronised, with comments like 'must be that time of the month' and being told to 'calm down'. Some reported sexualised sounds and gestures, and a lack of support from management. One teacher said: 'It wears me down and angers me when it is not taken seriously enough by management.'
The NASUWT will debate the issue at its annual conference in Birmingham on Saturday. Rebecca Hitchen of the End Violence Against Women Coalition called for strong sanctions on tech companies failing to tackle online misogyny, saying schools are 'bearing the brunt' of the rise.
