How new London project aims to help steer boys away from misogyny online

The Mayor of London has today launched a new £1,000,000 project aiming to teach primary school pupils about the importance of healthy and respectful relationships.

Sadiq Khan’s new project, which has been developed by educational experts Tender2, comes after research revealed that a worrying amount of young people are increasingly exposed to misogyny online.

Findings suggest that one in three young males have a positive view of ‘self-proclaimed misogynist’ Andrew Tate and that one in 10 children have watched porn by the age of nine.

And the new project, which will introduce toolkits and workshops in primary schools, will aim to tackle these issues and teach pupils, in particular young boys, about the importance of healthy and respectful relationships.

The Mayor of London emphasized that there has never been a better time to introduce such a project amid the influence of figures like Andrew Tate online.

He said: ‘It’s never too early to start educating young Londoners about the need to treat one another fairly and kindly.

‘And it’s important for young boys and girls to learn about equality and respect for one another.

‘That’s why I have written to all primary school headteachers in the capital today to outline the support, resources and funding I’m investing from City Hall so this important training can be delivered to thousands of young Londoners.

‘It will give teachers the expert training they need to empower the next generation of Londoners to stand up to sexism and misogyny in all its forms.’

The new toolkit uses ‘workshops, drama and interactive sessions in the classroom to engage young Londoners aged between 9-11’.

Primary school teachers have undertaken training sessions in order to deliver the workshops successfully, with children expected to ‘rehearse’ for real-life scenarios and ‘explore their rights, responsibilities and expectations in relationships.’

The Mayor stressed: ‘There has never been a more important time to counter the pernicious influence of those who preach misogyny online.

‘We must ensure that young people are clear what healthy and respectful relationships are about before they start seeing content from individuals like Andrew Tate online.

‘I will continue to do everything within my power to ensure that ending violence against women and girls is treated with the utmost urgency by our police, and society as a whole to build a safer London for all.’

It will use ‘drama, art and media to provide a safe, enjoyable space where children can engage with sensitive topics, ‘rehearse’ for real life scenarios and explore their rights, responsibilities and expectations within relationships.’

The Mayor stressed: ‘There has never been a more important time to counter the pernicious influence of those who preach misogyny online.

‘We must ensure that young people are clear what healthy and respectful relationships are about before they start seeing content from individuals like Andrew Tate online.

‘I will continue to do everything within my power to ensure that ending violence against women and girls is treated with the utmost urgency by our police, and society as a whole to build a safer London for all.’

And the new project has gained the support of teachers across the capital.

Emma, a Headteacher at a North London primary school, said: ‘Broaching issues like misogyny and sexism with young children can be really challenging and is something that we need to be prepared to deal with.

‘Thanks to the Mayor’s new toolkit, we now have expertly crafted, tried and tested tools and activities to safely and confidently teach this important subject matter.’

Toolkit lessons have actually already begun in some primary schools.

Aburahman, a pupil in year 6, said after one of the sessions: ‘I really enjoyed the roleplays because you get to see a number of situations that we could get into and how we can have a different response to them.’

And Taliba, also a year 6, said that the sessions educated her and her classmates about ‘what a good person is.’

The primary education project is part of Sadiq Khan’s record £233 million investment towards tackling violence against woman and girls.

The investment has seen projects such as the ‘Have a Word’ campaign film launched – which asks men of all ages to reflect on how they can help tackle misogyny and violence.

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