Schools to tackle influence of Andrew Tate with compulsory lessons on consent
Sir Keir Starmer’s government will tackle misogynistic, toxic influencers like Andrew Tate head-on by making compulsory lessons on healthy relationships for all secondary school students.
The £36m flagship strategy will finally be revealed on Thursday; that is, 18 months after Labor was elected on a manifesto promise to halve violence against women and girls within ten years.
The strategy will ensure that secondary school teachers are given specialist training to talk to girls and boys about issues such as consent, and that children who display harmful behavior towards their parents, siblings or within relationships will be enrolled in special programmes.
The highly anticipated plans will focus on tackling the root causes of abuse, with the latest statistics showing that around 40 per cent of young people in relationships have been victims of abuse, while more than 40 per cent of young men have a positive view of Tate.
Sir Keir said: “Every parent should be able to trust that their daughter is safe at school, online and in their relationships.
“But too often toxic ideas start spreading early and go unchallenged. This government steps in earlier, supports teachers, calls out misogyny, and intervenes when warning signs emerge to stop the damage before it starts.”
“This is about protecting girls and advancing education and communication for boys and young men, a responsibility we owe to the next generation and one that this government will uphold.”
Tracks repeat searches Independent A strategy to tackle these issues, as well as our Prime Minister-backed Brick to Brick campaign to build two safe homes for women victims of domestic violence.
Sir Keir said at the time: “I’m delighted to support IndependentThe Brick By Brick campaign was launched to support victims of domestic violence. “Not only do I support the campaign, I also want it to continue and grow.”
Under Labour’s latest initiative, all secondary schools in England will teach pupils about healthy relationships following concerns about the influence of self-described “misogynist” influencers such as Tate, who appeal to young boys by pushing an agenda characterized by toxic masculinity.
A new helpline will also be set up where young people can get help with concerns about their own behavior in relationships.
Campaign groups including Refuge have said they will review the details of the long-awaited plan to ensure the flagship policy lives up to its billing and provides the funding needed.
Measures already announced as part of the cross-government strategy include specialist rape and sexual offenses investigators for every police force, better support through the NHS for abuse survivors and a £19 million funding boost for councils to provide safe housing for victims of domestic violence.
The latest measures for children’s education are backed by a £20 million package; £16 million of this is being invested by the government, which is working with philanthropists on an innovation fund.
Responding to comments made so far about the strategy, Dame Nicole Jacobs, domestic violence commissioner for England and Wales, said the commitments did not go far enough to ensure the number of people experiencing abuse started to fall.
He said: “Today’s strategy correctly recognizes the scale of this challenge and the need to address the misogynistic attitudes that underlie it, but the level of investment required to achieve this is seriously inadequate.”
Dame Nicole also said overburdened schools were not equipped with the necessary infrastructure to protect children who were victims of domestic abuse.
Schools to take part in the pilot program will be selected next year, while ministers aim to have all secondary schools teaching healthy relationships by the end of this parliament.
Research commissioned by the Department for Education found that 70 per cent of secondary school teachers surveyed said their schools were actively tackling sexual violence and/or harassment among children.
Education minister Bridget Phillipson said: “After working for years in a refuge for women experiencing domestic violence, I know how life-changing early intervention can be. We cannot simply intervene after harm has occurred; we must give young people the understanding and tools they need before attitudes harden and turn into harm.”
Police and social services will be given new guidance on dealing with young people to help them deal with abuse, and the legal framework on domestic abuse will be looked at to address young people’s experiences.
It comes after Sir Keir promised to look into whether teenagers should be recognized as victims of domestic violence following the murder of 15-year-old Holly Newton by her perverted ex-boyfriend in Hexham, Northumberland, in January 2023.
VAWG minister Jess Phillips said: “The extent of violence against women and girls has long been a fact of life in our country. I am determined that our ground-breaking strategy will prevent women and girls from being truly harmed in the first place.”
“Taken together from today, they will apply the greatest pressure, using the full power of the state, to stop violence against women and girls in British history.”
