Misogyny, Respect and the Role of Schools

Recent media coverage surrounding allegations involving Sydney Swans players has prompted significant public discussion. As I followed the reporting, I was struck by how much of the initial commentary focused on the football club, the male players involved, and the potential impact on the team's finals campaign. Far less attention appeared to be directed toward those allegedly harmed by the events.

It made me wonder what this says about our priorities as a society. Do we sometimes focus more readily on prominent individuals, institutions, or public consequences than on the people most affected by harmful behaviour? Is this indicative of a pervasive sexism in our society? These are questions worth reflecting upon, particularly as educators and parents responsible for helping young people develop empathy, respect, and a strong moral compass.

The prevalence of misogyny in Australian society is well documented. Statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare highlight the continuing impact of violence against women - on average, one woman is killed by an intimate partner every 9 to 11 days in Australia. Additionally, recent research from the University of Melbourne has raised concerns about the attitudes of some young people toward women and gender equality.

I recently attended a University of Melbourne presentation titled Understanding the Manosphere: Risks, Reach and Responses. The session explored the growing influence of online communities and influencers that promote hostility toward women and traditional gender stereotypes. One finding that was particularly concerning was evidence suggesting that around 30% of Australian boys (13-17 years) are expressing misogynistic beliefs.

The research found that hostile attitudes toward women were a stronger predictor of support for violent extremism than factors such as political affiliation, religion, or general online activity. It also reported that many young people are being exposed to misogynistic messages through social media, online influencers, pornography, and other digital platforms. These findings remind us that schools and families must work together to ensure young people develop healthy, respectful attitudes toward others.

At St Peter's College, we take this responsibility seriously.

Through our Pastoral Care and Student Wellbeing programs, students participate in age-appropriate consent education and respectful relationships programs. Our SWAC program includes workshops delivered by Elephant Education for students in Years 8 and 9, focusing on consent, respectful relationships, and healthy interpersonal interactions.

Our counselling team also works proactively with students when concerns arise. Importantly, one of our counsellors has collaborated with a Monash University research team studying the impact of the "manosphere" on young people. This work has contributed to the development of resources that assist staff in identifying and responding to misogynistic attitudes when they emerge in school settings.

Our Pastoral Care and House Leaders are likewise proactive in addressing incidents where students demonstrate disrespect toward female staff or challenge the authority of women. We remain committed to ensuring our college is a community where every person is treated with dignity, respect, and equality, consistent with both our Catholic values and our commitment to the safety and wellbeing of all. Consequently, we will review our practices and educational programs to ensure we are meeting best practice.

Advice from the lecture this week indicated the following that school and teachers can do to combat misogyny and the manosphere:

Teach respect, healthy relationships and gender equality
Build media and digital literacy
Challenge rigid and patriarchal ideas about masculinity
Promote caring, equitable and emotionally healthy forms of manhood and personhood
Build empathy, emotional literacy and conflict-resolution skills
Create cultures of belonging, equity and inclusion

As parents and educators, we share a collective responsibility to help young people navigate the messages they encounter online and in the wider community. By working together, we can help our students grow into respectful young adults who value the dignity and worth of every person.

What can parents do?

Connect with your child – it actually matters more than knowing what your child is consuming online. Take an interest in the influencers, podcasts, videos, gaming communities, and social media content they engage with, and discuss any messages that portray women or men in unhealthy ways. However, you cannot be expected to know every meme or acronym.
Talk openly about respect and equality. Discuss healthy relationships, challenge gender stereotypes, and reinforce that all people deserve equal dignity and respect, regardless of gender.
Model respectful relationships. Young people learn most powerfully from the adults around them. Demonstrating mutual respect, empathy, listening to different perspectives, and valuing the contributions of both women and men sends a strong and lasting message.

Ultimately, preventing misogyny is not only about challenging harmful attitudes in boys and young men. It is about building a culture in which all young people understand that every person is worthy of dignity, respect, and equal opportunity. As a Catholic community, we believe that every person possesses inherent dignity because they are created in the image of God. The words of Genesis, “male and female, God created them,” remind us that women and men are equal in dignity and worth, and that our responsibility is to build a culture where this truth is reflected in our words, actions, and relationships.

Planning for 2027

As we continue our planning for 2027, our focus remains firmly on providing a high-quality Catholic education while ensuring that College resources are used responsibly and sustainably.

Staffing for 2027 is currently being finalised, and we are pleased to confirm that students will continue to have access to a broad range of subject offerings across the College. Our commitment to delivering high-quality teaching and learning programs remains unchanged, and families can be confident that our educational programs will continue to support the diverse interests, talents, and aspirations of our students.

As part of our ongoing review of college operations, some families will be impacted by changes to our school bus service at Clyde North. Following a detailed review, it was determined that several bus routes have been significantly underutilised. As a result, some routes will be rationalised, with the service reducing to two bus routes in 2027 and concluding entirely at the end of that year. No College-operated bus services will be available from 2028. While we appreciate that this change will affect some families, it is important that College resources are directed equitably and responsibly. Given the low utilisation of these services, it is not appropriate for the cost of operating largely underused bus routes to be subsidised through the school fees paid by all families, particularly as the City of Casey continues to expand and improve public bus services throughout the Clyde North area.

Families should also be aware that there will be a modest increase in school fees for 2027. The final fee structure is still being considered by DOSCEL and will be communicated once confirmed. This increase reflects broader cost pressures across Catholic education, including ongoing negotiations for a new enterprise agreement for Catholic school staff. Unlike government schools, these wage and condition improvements are not separately government funded and must be accommodated within existing school budgets and planning processes.

We thank families for their continued support and partnership as we plan for the future. Our priority remains delivering an outstanding Catholic education that supports every student to flourish academically, spiritually, and personally.

Mr David Hansen

Principal

Wellbeing Support