New research from the University of Melbourne is examining the relationship between misogynistic attitudes, online content and extremist beliefs among Australians, including young people.
The national survey of 3,429 Australians, including teenagers as young as 13, explored attitudes across six forms of extremism: incel, far-right, white supremacist, religious, far-left and anti-feminist extremism.
Researchers found that hostility towards women was the strongest predictor of support for extremist violence across the different forms of extremism examined. The findings suggest that misogynistic attitudes may be an important common factor across otherwise different extremist movements.
The role of online content
The research also examined how different online environments relate to misogynistic and extremist attitudes.
Engagement with “manfluencer” content was the strongest predictor of misogynistic attitudes in the study, while online dating platforms and pornography were also associated with attitudes that excuse violence against women.
The researchers found that most of these online behaviours had little direct relationship with extremist attitudes once misogynistic beliefs were taken into account. This suggests the attitudes developed through exposure to certain content may be particularly important.
Young people and the manosphere
The findings raise concerns about how early these attitudes can emerge. Teenage boys in the survey were more likely than other groups to express misogynistic attitudes, mistrust of women and support for rigid gender roles.
Teachers are also seeing these issues in classrooms. In a companion survey of 511 Australian teachers, 62% identified online misogyny as a concern, while 57% had observed students expressing anti-feminist views.
The research highlights the importance of addressing harmful gender attitudes earlier and alongside existing approaches to online safety and violent extremism.
Rather than treating misogyny and extremism as entirely separate issues, the researchers argue for a more coordinated approach that focuses on what young people are being exposed to online and the beliefs those messages can reinforce.