Children as young as 11 who demonstrate misogynistic behaviour will be taught the difference between pornography and real relationships, as part of a multimillion-pound investment to tackle misogyny in England’s schools, the Guardian understands.
On the eve of the government publishing its long-awaited strategy to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade, David Lammy told the Guardian that the battle “begins with how we raise our boys”, adding that toxic masculinity and keeping girls and women safe were “bound together”.
As part of the government’s flagship strategy, which was initially expected in the spring, teachers will be able to send young people at risk of causing harm on behavioural courses, and will be trained to intervene if they witness disturbing or worrying behaviour.
Keir Starmer, announcing the strategy, 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.”
Officials have said the strategy will include teaching on deepfakes, image-based abuse and online harassment.
The courses will also include teaching on coercion, peer pressure, porn literacy – including identifying the difference between fantasy and real relationships – and stalking.
They will complement the new RSHE (Relationships, Sex and Health Education) curriculum, which is statutory for state schools to follow from September 2026 and includes updated lessons on AI literacy, deepfakes and online harms.
Secondary schools will be supported more widely to challenge misogyny and promote healthy relationships. A new pilot will involve experts supporting teachers to educate children about consent and the dangers of sharing explicit images.
Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister who has played a key role in the policies, said: “A strategy is just words. And we know words are not enough. What matters is action.”
The much-trailed strategy is expected to focus on three pillars:
But on Wednesday, the domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales said new training for teachers and GPs, and referral schemes in education and health, were not being matched by funding for victims who had been identified.
“Today’s strategy rightly recognises the scale of this challenge and the need to address the misogynistic attitudes that underpin it, but the level of investment to achieve this falls seriously short,” Nicole Jacobs said.
“There is still no long-term sustainable funding for specialist services to ensure victims can actually access support in their area, despite the fact many of these measures will likely drive up referrals; overburdened schools on the frontline of the insurgence of misogyny are not being equipped with the infrastructure they need to safeguard child victims of domestic abuse.”
Lammy told the Guardian that the battle “begins with how we raise our boys” – adding that toxic masculinity and keeping girls and women safe were “bound together”.
Writing in the Guardian ahead of the publication of the VAWG strategy, which has seen the government criticised for delays and failing to meaningfully consult with experts, Lammy said responding to the “national emergency” of violence against women and girls was personal.
“[A]s a dad to a daughter, it terrifies me. But as a dad to two sons, it drives home that we can’t keep doing things the same way,” he said.
“Today’s children are growing up in a digital world many parents barely recognise. A place where porn is easy to access, misogyny spreads fast, and loud, hateful voices tell our boys that control is strength and empathy is weakness.”
The deputy prime minister, and victims minister Alex Davies-Jones, will convene a national summit on the challenges facing men and boys next year. Earlier this month, the government announced its men’s health strategy.
Andrea Simon, the director of the End Violence Against Women coalition said: “There is a lot of laudable ambitions in the VAWG strategy but it will drive up referrals and struggle to deliver given the state of statutory services and the voluntary sector.
“There is a risk that you increase people’s expectation of getting help, and progressing criminal cases in the justice system – but that is not the case at the moment.”
