By Amanda Thorley, Socialist Alternative London
Levels of gender-based violence (GBV) are now so severe that they have become a “national emergency” according to a recent report from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).
The reports’ findings make for grim reading. Two million women are estimated to be victims of GBV, with the true figures likely to be much higher, as many victims feel unable to report their ordeals. Crimes such as stalking, harassment, sexual assault and domestic violence are now an all-too-common part of daily life for many women, and account for a shocking 20% of all police recorded crimes. Levels of GBV have gone up by 37% between 2018-2023, with a staggering 3,000 offences a day now recorded. Tragically, these are crimes that cost many victims their lives, with one in six murders in England and Wales linked to domestic abuse.
An added cause for alarm is the falling age of perpetrators of violence, indicating that, left unaddressed, this is a problem that will only escalate in severity and scale over time. The NPCC report expressed particular concern over the radicalising effect of online influencers such as Andrew Tate on young men and boys, and these concerns are echoed by workers in the education sector. The inclusion charity ‘Diversify’ estimates that an average classroom of 30 children will have 8 boys who admire Tate, and the charity now receives 25 calls a week from schools across the country seeking help with incidents of misogyny and sexual harassment, many of which cite Tate as an influencing factor. Parents and teachers alike are now all too aware of the consequences of Tate’s toxic rhetoric, with boys, some as young as nine, ignoring instructions from female teachers, openly making demeaning remarks and expressing support for Tate, and even attacking their female classmates. Whilst many of Tate’s social media platforms have been removed, thousands of bot accounts continue to post content from Tate and similar influencers, meaning it is all too easy for vulnerable young men and boys to get sucked into the toxic world of the “manosphere”.
Clearly, the epidemic of GBV must be addressed. But as socialists, we recognise that change will not come from above, given that this Labour government cannot be trusted to serve the interests of the working class. Instead, change can only come from a united working class, and we call upon education unions such as the NEU to work with schools to challenge toxic rhetoric like Tate’s as it appears in classrooms. Longer-term, a new mass left party of struggle must be formed, to truly address the needs of working class men and women alike.
