Misogyny an ‘everyday part of childhood’ as one in ten girls threatened with having nude photos shared

Experts warn that misogyny has become “an everyday part of childhood”, while shocking new data shows one in 10 girls have been threatened with sharing their naked photos with others.

A new report by leading children’s charity Barnardo’s has revealed that one in seven children aged 13-15 has been asked to send a nude photo, while a quarter of 13-20 year olds have seen a nude photo initially sent and shared privately.

To talk IndependentThe charity said there was a “direct, undeniable link between the casual disrespect young people see in easily accessible pornography and the attitudes they bring to real-world relationships”.

Luneta Tajblova, senior practitioner at Barnardo’s, said: “As frontline workers we are witnessing an extremely worrying reality, where pressure on girls to share intimate photos of themselves has become normalised.”

He added that there was a “strict” double standard where the blame was put back on the victims when such images were shared.

Ms Tajblova said: “We constantly hear things like, ‘You should have known better’ or ‘Why did you post that?’ “This is the responsibility of the girl who posted it, as opposed to the person who distributes the image to others without permission, actively blurring the boundaries of consent and shaming the girls involved while protecting those responsible for the abuse.”

But he said “we cannot look at this behavior in isolation” and that there is “a direct, undeniable link between the casual disrespect young people see in easily accessible pornography and the attitudes they bring to real-world relationships.”

“Watching women be degraded in online pornography shapes some boys’ views of consent and respect in real life,” he said Independent.

The charity also warned that online misogyny is now “part of the background noise of growth”; because one in four girls revealed they have been called derogatory names online or on social media.

The survey of 4,000 young people across the UK showed how misogyny has become “an everyday part of childhood”; boys said they felt unable to challenge their peers on this issue.

More than a fifth (21 per cent) of boys said their friends would not support them if they made sexist comments, and a majority of boys (57 per cent) said people would think they were “boring” if they did not join in on the group’s “jokes”.

Olly, 18, said: “As a young man, I see misogyny online every day. It sets the tone for how boys treat girls and boys treat each other. “There’s pressure to laugh it off or stay silent, even if it crosses the line.

“Young men set the standards. Challenge it, shut it down, and support those who speak out. This is how we change what is accepted.”

Barnardo’s has warned that misogyny is “persistent, corrosive and deeply entrenched” in young people’s lives; 29 percent of frontline practitioners said they had seen an increase in child-to-child sexual abuse and/or problematic or harmful sexual behavior in children in the past year.

Ms Tajblova said online misogyny not only harms women and girls, but also has a “negative impact” on boys. “They face intense peer pressure to conform to these rigid, oppressive attitudes towards women and girls, which means coercive behavior and control are normalized as badges of masculinity by peer groups and misogynistic influencers,” she explained.

“Most importantly, we see boys who want to step back, who know it is wrong, but who cannot speak out because doing so means facing social exclusion and isolation from their friends.

“At the same time, our service has seen young men become targets of sextortion in online chat rooms, proving that the online world is becoming increasingly unsafe for all young people.

“This must change. We must stop blaming victims and start having honest and urgent conversations about respect, consent and the impact of online content.”

Sarah, Director of Children’s Services for South West England, said: “We supported young girls who created digitally manipulated (deepfake) images of themselves and distributed them online.

“Images are shared through social media platforms, sometimes through fake accounts created to further spread the abuse. Such incidents cause significant emotional impacts, including fear and distress.”

Barnardo’s is calling on the government to upgrade regulator Ofcom’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) guidance to include a mandatory Code of Practice to challenge misogyny online and offline.

The company’s chief executive, Lynn Perry, said the survey’s findings showed how “persistent, corrosive and deeply entrenched” misogyny is in the lives of today’s young people.

He said: “It shapes the way boys and girls think about themselves, their values ​​and their relationships with others. Young people tell us that the outcome can be harmful in every way, from humiliation and sexual abuse to feelings of shame and isolation. “It’s not inevitable – it can be learned and challenged.

“That’s why we’re alarmed and want young people’s experiences to be at the center of conversations about how to tackle misogynistic content online.”

A spokesperson for Ofcom said platforms must tackle online harms to ensure misogynistic hate and abuse is prioritized in children’s broadcasts.

“We have also identified clear and practical steps companies can take to stop gender-based harm online. We will take action where tech firms fail to protect young people within the scope of their mandate, including through spam or images.”

A government spokesman said the findings were “extremely shocking”.

They added: “The criminal law on child sexual exploitation material is very clear and companies have a duty under the Online Safety Act to prevent and remove this unlawful content. We have the full support of Ofcom to take action against those who fail to comply.”

“We are also taking action against emerging threats, ensuring new technologies such as chatbots protect users from illegal content, and banning AI tools designed to create child sexual abuse material.”