Extreme misogyny in the UK will be treated the same as Islamist and far-right extremism under a new government plan aimed at addressing gaps in the country’s counter-terrorism strategy, the Sunday Telegraph has reported, adding that the move comes in response to rising violence against women.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has ordered a review of the strategy to combat violence against women and girls amid growing concerns that current legislation is too narrow, the paper wrote. The updated guidance is expected to legally oblige teachers to refer pupils they suspect of extreme misogyny to the government’s counter-terror program, called Prevent.
Currently, teachers, healthcare professionals and local authority staff are required to make a referral to the program if they believe someone is susceptible to becoming radicalized.

“For too long, Governments have failed to address the rise in extremism, both online and on our streets, and we’ve seen the number of young people radicalized online grow,” Cooper told the paper, pledging to close any gaps in existing policy that prevent the authorities from cracking down on violence.

The comprehensive review of the Prevent program, which is expected to be completed as soon as this autumn, will focus on developing an updated strategic approach that involves close collaboration between the government and communities. The measure comes as part of a new counter-extremism strategy that the Home Office expects to unveil by next year.

The move is expected to address mounting concerns about the influence of misogynistic figures who are seen as radicalizing teenage boys via various online platforms, the news outlet noted, citing Andrew Tate, a controversial British-American influencer and self-proclaimed “misogynist,” as an example. Tate is currently awaiting trial in Romania over allegations of rape, human trafficking, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.

The Home Office currently lists several categories of extremism, including Islamist, extreme right-wing, animal rights, environmental, and Northern Ireland-related, as areas of concern. The list also includes an online subculture called “incel,” short for “involuntarily celibate.” This refers to a misogynistic worldview promoted by men who blame women for men’s lack of romantic prospects.

In the year ending March 31, 2023, there were 6,817 referrals to the Prevent program, marking an increase of 6.4% from the previous year, statistics tracked by the government show. Among them, 37% were categorized as “vulnerability present but no ideology of counter-terrorism risk,” while 19% were related to extreme right-wing ideologies, and 11% were associated with Islamist extremism.

In February, a study conducted by UK telecommunications multinational Vodafone found that 70% of teachers had seen a rise in sexist language in their classrooms over the past year, while 69% of boys had encountered posts promoting misogyny. It was also revealed that 42% of parents had heard their sons make inappropriate comments because of what they have seen online.

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