The Manosphere

In recent days there has been a significant online rhetoric about the newly released Netflix documentary by Louis Theroux, ‘Inside the Manosphere’. Louis Theroux speaks with several online personalities about what it means to be a man. These influencers are known for their strong beliefs about the role of men and women in society, and the views shared within the documentary have caused quite a stir.

For any of us who work in safeguarding or schools in general, the rise of misogyny and the growing online community of men displaying extremist views has been hard to avoid. So, what is the ‘Manosphere’? Well, that depends on who you ask – the men who are involved in this belief system would claim it is about self-development and men’s wellbeing. Some areas of the manosphere hold the view that society unfairly favours women and that men must now reclaim their power or dominance. For those of us working with children, it’s possibly one of the fastest growing risks to young boys that we have seen in decades.

The Manosphere is a network of people, like the ones in the documentary, who have an online presence mainly aimed at engaging young boys. They explore the ‘Red Pill Theory’, ‘Involuntary Celibacy’ and ‘men’s rights activists.’ A key theme in the documentary is how easily young people can encounter this content, recommended algorithms on platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Instagram can move users from relatively mild self-help or dating advice into more extreme narratives. During the documentary we saw that some of the people involved are online continuously streaming for 7-8 hours a day with then added online content for the rest of the time, showing the sheer volume of content being put out there.

Red Pill Theory:

The ‘red pill theory’ is a belief system popular within parts of the online manosphere, which claims that society hides the truth about gender relationships. In manosphere communities, being ‘red-pilled’ means believing you have awakened to what followers claim are the real dynamics between men and women – often the idea that women hold social power and that men must adopt dominant or manipulative behaviours to succeed in relationships.

Incel Culture:

Incel culture refers to online communities built around the idea of being ‘involuntarily celibate’, a term originally coined in the 1990s to describe people struggling with loneliness and dating. Over time, however, some internet forums adopted the label and developed a more extreme ideology. In these spaces, members often blame women or society for their lack of romantic or sexual relationships, and discussions about this often include misogynistic language, resentment and rigid beliefs about attractiveness and social status.

So, what are the dangers?

1. Normalising misogyny

Some manosphere content portrays women as manipulative, inferior or responsible for men’s problems. Influencers have helped popularise messaging that frame relationships as power struggles rather than partnerships. The content that is being shared reinforces stereotypes about women that we have fought so long to come away from, encourages hostility towards women and shapes very toxic ideas about relationships and most importantly, consent.

2. Gateway to radicalisation

Young people may initially engage in the manosphere as they are drawn in by content about fitness, confidence, or dating advice. Over time, the messaging then shifts towards hostility towards women or conspiratorial views about gender. The people interviewed in the Netflix documentary displayed, online at least, a lavish lifestyle with money, cars, girls and nearly always abroad, further adding to the enticement for young boys.

3. Exploits vulnerable boys

For young boys who may be having difficulty with self-esteem, belonging, rejection or uncertainty about their own masculinity, the manosphere can provide an avenue for belonging. This is a theme I have seen time and time again when delivering safeguarding supervisions in schools – young boys who have struggled with friendships, relationships or self-esteem, who are then drawn into these online communities and very quickly adopt these toxic and dangerous belief systems.

4. Unhealthy view of masculinity

During the documentary all of the personalities interviewed had very firm beliefs on a man’s role in a relationship, most predominantly that they did not have to be faithful, but their partners did. They all displayed controlling behaviours and rarely let the females in their family be interviewed. If the women were interviewed and even began to say anything outside of what they had clearly been coached to say, the interviews were shut down.

How to recognise potential warning signs

The documentary highlights how online beliefs can begin to influence real-world attitudes. Safeguarding practitioners may notice signs such as:

• Increasingly hostile or dismissive comments about women or girls
• Repeated references to ‘alpha males’, ‘red pill’, or similar terminology
• Consumption of highly polarised gender-related content
• Social withdrawal combined with heavy online engagement

These signs do not necessarily mean a young person has been radicalised, but they may indicate exposure to harmful online narratives.

How designated safeguarding leads and school staff can respond:

Rather than responding with punishment or dismissal, it is crucial to respond with open conversation and critical thinking.

Effective safeguarding approaches include:

• Creating safe spaces for discussion about relationships, masculinity, and online content
• Teaching digital literacy, helping young people question what they see online
• Encouraging positive male role models and healthy discussions around masculinity
• Understanding the online platforms young people use
• Staff awareness, especially around the language used is critical for picking up on conversations or filtering and monitoring systems
• Professional curiosity helps us to understand whether beliefs have come from home or online, and get to the root of why a child has been drawn into this network
• Continued staff training on topics such as misogyny so all staff know what to look out for, Keeping Children Safe in Education clearly outlines the need for ongoing safeguarding training in schools and we do offer a range of options, including whole school briefings.

Louis Theroux’s ‘Inside the Manosphere’ documentary has highlighted how online communities promoting misogyny and rigid ideas of masculinity can influence young people in subtle but serious ways. For schools and safeguarding professionals, the key takeaway is the importance of awareness, early intervention, and open conversations. By combining digital literacy education, supportive discussions about identity and relationships and having access to trusted safeguarding resources, adults can help young people navigate these spaces safely and critically, reducing the risk of harmful behaviours or radicalisation.

Where to go for support?

Your school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead will be your first point of call to explore any language or behaviours you are concerned about. Schools must look into whether it is part of a wider online safety concern, a response to bullying or connected to possible radicalisation. Exploring where the language or beliefs have come from can be a critical first step in knowing how to respond.

If it is felt there could be a possible risk of radicalisation, schools must follow the guidance outlined in the Prevent Duty and associated policies. There is staff training available on the Educate Against Hate website. Early intervention is key, so accessing support and guidance from appropriate agencies can make the difference in terms of long -term impact and risk. We cover misogyny and other risks children face from the digital world within our Designated Safeguarding Lead training, which equips DSLs to feel confident in managing these complex issues in schools.

For information on how to access One Education briefings and training please contact us on 0161 276 0160 or by emailing safeguarding@oneeducation.co.uk