Teachers to be trained to tackle misogyny under new gov plans

The government has announced a £20m strategy aimed at protecting children from misogyny and relationship abuse, with new measures focused on prevention, education and early intervention in schools.

The violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy will prioritise teaching young people about healthy relationships and consent, alongside efforts to steer boys away from misogynistic online influences. 

The government said the approach was designed to tackle the root causes of abuse rather than responding only after harm has occurred.

The announcement follows government-commissioned data showing that almost 40% of teenagers in relationships have experienced relationship abuse, while more than 40% of young men hold a positive view of the influencer Andrew Tate, who has been criticised for promoting misogynistic views.

Under the plans, teachers and families will be supported to challenge harmful attitudes about women and relationships. Young people will be taught to recognise positive role models and question myths that can normalise controlling or abusive behaviour.

All secondary schools in England will be required to offer education on healthy and respectful relationships, with ministers saying that every pupil will have access to this teaching by the end of the current Parliament. The measures build on previously announced changes to help pupils identify disinformation, fake news and conspiracy theories online.

Teachers will also receive specialist training on issues including consent and the risks associated with sharing intimate images. External experts will be brought in to pilot new approaches, supported by research into the most effective ways of delivering lessons on relationships and behaviour.

Schools will be encouraged to identify pupils considered at higher risk of adopting harmful attitudes and refer them for additional support. A dedicated funding pot will be used to develop interventions aimed at preventing the most harmful sexual behaviours.

As part of the strategy, the government will launch a new helpline for young people who are concerned about their own behaviour in relationships. Ministers said the service would provide confidential advice and support.

Police and social services will receive new guidance on responding to teenage relationships, while the legal framework for domestic abuse will be reviewed to ensure it better reflects adolescents’ experiences. The Home Office said the changes were intended to help authorities intervene earlier in cases of relationship abuse among teenagers.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Every parent should be able to trust that their daughter is safe at school, online and in her relationships. But too often toxic ideas are taking hold early and going unchallenged. This government is stepping in sooner – backing teachers, calling out misogyny, and intervening when warning signs appear – to stop harm before it starts.

“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, and one this government will deliver.”

Education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, added: “Having spent years working in a refuge for women experiencing domestic abuse, I know just how much early intervention could have changed lives. We cannot simply respond to harm after it happens; we must give young people the understanding and tools they need before attitudes harden into harm.

“Investing in our teachers and ensuring they can respond to the realities children face today is so vital to renewing our communities, and protecting young women.”

Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips, concluded: “For too long the scale of violence against women and girls has been treated as a fact of life in our country. I am determined our groundbreaking strategy will prevent women and girls from actually being harmed in the first place.

“But a strategy is just words. And we know words are not enough. What matters is action. Put together, from today, we will deploy the full power of the state to introduce the largest crackdown to stop violence perpetrated against women and girls in British history.”