Secondary schools across England are set to undergo a sweeping transformation in how they address misogyny and violence against women and girls, following the UK government’s unveiling of an ambitious new strategy on December 18, 2025. With a bold aim to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) within a decade, the government’s plan focuses on education, early intervention, and cultural change—starting with children as young as 11.
At the heart of the initiative is a mandate for all secondary schools to teach students about healthy relationships. According to The Times and the BBC, this curriculum will explicitly tackle the roots of misogyny, equipping teachers with specialist training to discuss issues such as consent, the dangers of sharing intimate images, and the importance of challenging gender stereotypes. The move comes amid growing concern about the influence of online misogynistic content and figures like Andrew Tate, whose views have gained traction among young men.
For students—mainly boys—who exhibit concerning or harmful behavior, schools will now have the authority to refer them to what have been dubbed 'anti-misogyny training courses.' These behavior change programs are designed to intervene early, targeting those who show harm towards parents, siblings, or in romantic relationships. The pilot scheme could even be extended to primary schools, signaling the government’s intent to address problematic attitudes before they become deeply ingrained.
Teachers are set to play a pivotal role in this cultural shift. As The Times reported, educators will receive specialist training not only to talk about consent but also to identify positive role models and challenge unhealthy myths about women and relationships. The government has committed £20 million to fund these measures, with £16 million coming from taxpayers and the remainder sought from philanthropists and an innovation fund. The training pilot will launch next year, with the goal of having all secondary schools delivering healthy relationship sessions by the end of the current Parliament.
“Every parent should be able to trust that their daughter is safe at school, online and in her relationships. But too often toxic ideas are taking hold early and going unchallenged,” Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated, according to BBC. “This government is stepping in sooner—backing teachers, calling out misogyny, and intervening when warning signs appear—to stop harm before it starts. This is about protecting girls and driving forward education and conversation with boys and young men, which is a responsibility we owe to the next generation, and one this government will deliver.”
The scale of the challenge is underscored by recent research. A YouGov poll from October 2025 found that 45% of teachers described misogynistic attitudes among boys at their schools as a problem, with 9% calling it a “very big” problem. The situation is even starker in secondary schools, where two-thirds of teachers saw misogyny as an issue. Meanwhile, polling commissioned by Amnesty International UK in March 2025 revealed that 73% of Gen Z social media users had witnessed misogynistic content online—most commonly on TikTok, where 70% of respondents reported encountering such material. The poll also highlighted the impact on young women, with more than half receiving inappropriate emojis, 44% receiving unsolicited explicit images, and 43% experiencing body shaming.
The government’s strategy doesn’t stop at classroom education. A new helpline will be established for teenagers to seek support regarding their own behavior in relationships, providing a confidential resource for those who recognize they need help. The Home Office has also announced a ban on "nudification" tools—AI-powered software that creates fake nude images without consent—and will work with tech companies to implement nudity detection filters, aiming to make it impossible for children to take, view, or share nude images.
Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips emphasized the focus on prevention over temporary fixes. Speaking to The Daily Mail, she explained, “The scheme would include targeted interventions for young men where teachers spot behaviours, such as the sharing of intimate images, so that we can stop that behaviour progressing into something that may end up even more sinister in the future.” She added, “I'm a bit sick, I have to say, as somebody who's campaigned on this for many years, of just trying to put nicer plasters onto ever growing scars, and so ... the Government is really, really focused on the prevention.”
Despite the broad support for the new measures, the strategy has faced criticism from several quarters. Dame Nicole Jacobs, domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, said the commitments “do not go far enough” to see the number of people experiencing abuse start to fall. She pointed out that while the strategy acknowledges the scale of the challenge, the investment “falls seriously short.” Dame Nicole also argued that overburdened schools lack the infrastructure needed to safeguard child victims of domestic abuse.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch dismissed the government’s approach as “silly gimmicks,” suggesting that the focus should be on increasing police numbers and removing individuals from the country “who come from cultures where women are treated as third class citizens.” She also questioned the motivations behind the rollout, attributing it to the influence of popular media rather than evidence-based policymaking.
Liberal Democrats spokeswoman for women and equalities, Marie Goldman, welcomed teacher training but warned that without robust moderation of online content, the measures would fall short. “Unless it is accompanied by steps to properly moderate online content, I have no doubt it will fail,” she said, according to the BBC.
Education sector leaders have also weighed in. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), noted that schools already deliver relationships education but welcomed the additional specialist training. “Training must be for teachers across all phases of education and that schools are just part of the solution, with government, health, social care, police and parents all having a significant contribution to make too,” he said. Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, stressed the importance of tackling the spread of online misogynistic content “at source.”
The wider VAWG strategy includes a raft of additional measures: specialist rape and sexual offence investigators in every police force, the expansion of domestic abuse protection orders, and a £1 billion investment in victim support, including safe housing. Police and social services will receive new guidance on teenage relationships, and the legal framework for domestic abuse will be reviewed to better address the experiences of teenagers—especially in light of tragic cases like the murder of 15-year-old Holly Newton by her ex-boyfriend in 2023.
While the government’s new strategy marks a significant step towards addressing misogyny and violence against women and girls in England, its ultimate success will hinge on effective implementation, sustained investment, and the willingness of all sectors—education, technology, law enforcement, and families—to work together. The hope is that by tackling harmful attitudes and behaviors early, a safer, more equitable future can be secured for the next generation.
