25% Of Aussie Boys Believe Feminism Should Be Resisted With Violence, Study Finds

A new report by the University of Melbourne has revealed an alarming rate of misogyny among Australian boys aged 13-17. It comes as Sydney reels from several instances of misogynistic violence, including an alleged sexual assault involving a number of Sydney Swans players, and another involving three teenage boys in the city’s east.

The study, funded by the Office of National Intelligence, surveyed 1,122 young people aged 13-17 and 2,307 adults. Survey participants answered questions relating to their attitudes on women, gender equality, online influences and violent extremism.

Among the cohort of boys aged 13-17, the study found that: 31.8% believed that attempts to give equal opportunities to women in Australia have gone too far; 30.1% believed men have more of a right to a job than women when jobs are scarce; and 24.7% believed feminism is damaging to our society and should be resisted with violence if necessary.

“These attitudes were far more prevalent among the young people surveyed,” said the study’s author, Dr Sara Meger, “and of everything we measured, these hostile views were the single strongest predictor of support for violent extremism.

“Engagement with ‘manosphere’ content, pornography and online dating showed the strongest links to misogynistic views.” 

Manosphere Teaching Aussie Boys Violence Is Okay

The study is not the first expert body to link “manosphere” content to violent behaviour among young men in Australia. A Victorian parliamentary inquiry in late June made a similar conclusion, determining that the rise of this sort of misogynistic, hateful content had inspired a range of harmful trends in public and political discourse, likely culminating in the slurry of violent attacks on LGBTQ+ people across NSW and Victoria in recent years.

Chanel Contos, CEO of Teach Us Consent, said the findings highlight the cost of not regulating social media.

“This research reflects what we see through our work with young people,” Contos said. “Our social media feeds and algorithms have become fertile ground for content that promotes violence against women and girls, and we’re seeing the consequences unfold in schools and communities across the country.”