1. Build Staff Knowledge, Skills and Confidence
Ensure all staff have access to training, resources and opportunities to develop their understanding of misogyny, violence against women and girls (VAWG), and harmful sexual behaviours.
Staff should be supported to recognise and respond to issues including:
- Sexual harassment, sexual violence and sexual assault
- Consent, including the importance of consent being active, informed, enthusiastic and freely given
- How fear responses such as fight, flight, freeze and fawn can influence behaviour and disclosure
- Coercive and controlling behaviour, manipulation and domestic abuse
- Online exploitation, abuse and other digital harms
- Misogyny and the influence of manosphere-related content
Settings should actively challenge misinformation, promote evidence-based understanding and provide time for staff to reflect on practice, review resources and learn from colleagues. Incidents should be recorded, reviewed and used to inform ongoing improvement.
2. Challenge Harmful Behaviour
Misogynistic language, attitudes and behaviours should never be ignored.
Education settings can support positive cultures by:
- Responding consistently to misogynistic comments and actions
- Clearly communicating expectations around respect, equality and consent
- Setting and maintaining firm, fair and compassionate boundaries
- Encouraging personal responsibility and reinforcing positive social norms
Consistent responses help create environments where harmful behaviours are less likely to become normalised.
3. Promote and Reinforce Positive Behaviour
Alongside challenging harmful behaviour, it is equally important to encourage positive attitudes and respectful relationships.
This can be achieved by:
- Developing pupils' critical thinking and media literacy skills
- Helping young people recognise and question harmful messages encountered online
- Using relationship-based approaches that encourage reflection and understanding
- Embedding relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) messages throughout everyday learning opportunities
- Supporting boys and young men to understand the impact of misogyny and to see themselves as active contributors to positive, respectful masculinity
Early intervention and meaningful conversations can help prevent attitudes and behaviours from becoming more entrenched.
4. Create a Safe, Inclusive and Equal Culture
A whole-setting approach should promote equality, inclusion and safety for everyone.
Key elements include:
- Embedding gender equality across the curriculum and wider school culture
- Creating an environment where pupils feel confident asking questions, seeking support and raising concerns
- Listening to and supporting those who disclose experiences of harm
- Recognising and responding appropriately to the needs of children and young people displaying harmful behaviours
- Ensuring RSHE and safeguarding approaches are inclusive, accessible and culturally responsive
This includes considering the experiences of LGBTQ+ children and young people, neurodivergent learners, those with SEND, pupils from ethnic minority communities and those from different faith backgrounds.
5. Support Long-Term and System-Wide Change
Creating lasting change requires engagement beyond the classroom.
Settings can contribute by:
- Providing access to pastoral support, mental health services and trusted adults
- Signposting families and carers to reliable information and resources
- Helping families understand key RSHE themes and learning outcomes
- Prioritising staff wellbeing and ensuring support is available when needed
- Investing in ongoing professional development and opportunities for reflection
Strong partnerships between schools, families and communities can help reinforce positive messages and create consistent support for children and young people.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Effective implementation may be reflected in the following ways:
- Staff feel confident and supported to deliver high-quality RSHE, including learning about consent, healthy relationships, misogyny and online safety.
- Sexist language and behaviour are addressed calmly, consistently and effectively.
- Pupils engage critically with social media, influencers and online content.
- Young people are empowered to act as positive bystanders and safely challenge inappropriate behaviour.
- Disclosures of harm are taken seriously and responded to appropriately.
- Support is available both for those who have experienced harm and for those whose behaviour may be causing harm.
- Incidents are recorded, reported through appropriate safeguarding procedures and used to inform future practice.
- Equality, inclusion and respect are visible within leadership, policies and everyday culture.
- Families and carers work alongside education settings to reinforce key messages about relationships, respect and safety.