The rise of online misogyny and its impact on young people, particularly boys, has become a growing concern in the UK. Margaret Mulholland looks at what schools can do to address the issue, including seven practical steps we can take
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Last term, the government introduced new guidelines that included a recommendation to ban mobile phones.

Without any consultation with schools, education secretary Gillian Keegan announced this “crackdown” on mobile phones to “minimise disruption and improve behaviour” – seemingly unaware that nearly all schools ban or strictly control their use already.

Nobody is questioning the need for controls on mobile phones. According to Ofcom (2023), 97% of children have their own phones by the age of 12. Misuse of these devices – which generally happens outside school time – can lead to bullying online and often spills over into school.

The real issue is that this is just one of the factors beyond the school gate that affects behaviour. There is a far deeper problem growing in our society around misogynistic behaviour among some boys.

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