Young people more likely to hold hostile attitudes toward women, study finds

Phys · Aug 17, 2026 · 547 words · By University

Education Policy Gender equality Online Influence/Manosphere Violent Extremism

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What to know about Education Policy

A University of Melbourne study indicates that young people in Australia are more likely than older generations to hold hostile attitudes toward women. The research links these views to 'manosphere' online content and suggests that such attitudes are strong predictors of support for violent extremism.

Propaganda risk 20%

Claims checked 10

Techniques found 1

Topics 4

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center100%

Right0%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Young people more likely to hold hostile attitudes toward women, study finds Sadie Harley Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Chief Editor Young people are significantly more likely than older generations to hold hostile attitudes toward women, and these attitudes…

Why it matters

The first-of-its-kind Australian study surveyed 1,122 young people ages 13–17 and 2,307 adults to compare attitudes toward women, gender equality, online influences and violent extremism.

Common ground

The study also surveyed more than 500 Australian schoolteachers about their experiences of misogyny and extremism in classrooms.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Education Policy story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Among boys ages 13–17, the study found: 30.1% believed men have more of a right to a job than women when jobs are scarce?
What happens next if the deal stalls, and who has the power to restart talks?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-young-people-hostile-attitudes-women.html

analyticsAnalysis

20%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 95%

Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 9

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “Among boys ages 13–17, the study found: 30.1% believed men have more of a right to a job than women when jobs are scarce”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources confirm the statistic that 30.1% of boys aged 13-17 believe men have more of a right to a job than women when jobs are scarce.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Melbourne University Football Club, often known simply as University, is an Australian rules football club based at the University of Melbourne. Founded in 1859, it is one of the oldest football clubs…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne_University_Football_…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Melbourne

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSU) is one of two student organisations at the University of Melbourne, Australia. It provides representation and services for all current students and the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Melbourne_Studen…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “Teachers surveyed reported students quoting influencers such as Andrew Tate and repeating 'manosphere' language in class to justify refusing instructions from female staff while complying with identical instructions from male colleagues.”

CORROBORATED

While the 'Evidence for claim 8' section says no evidence found, the 'Evidence for claim 2' section explicitly contains a web search result stating: 'Some reported students citing the manosphere influencer Andrew Tate by name in class, and using his language to justify refusing instructions from female staff while complying [with male staff]'.

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Claim 3: “Gen Z women were twice as likely as Millennial women, and four times as likely as Gen X women, to agree that marriage entitles a husband to sex with his wife, even if she does not want to.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web sources confirm the specific comparison that Gen Z women were twice as likely as Millennials and four times as likely as Gen X women to agree that marriage entitles a husband to sex without consent.

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web search NEUTRAL — Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth year…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennials

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web search NEUTRAL — Gen Z women surveyed were twice as likely as Millennial women, and four times as likely as Gen X women, to agree that a husband is entitled to sex with his wife even when she doesn't want it.
https://www.russh.com/why-isnt-misogyny-changing/

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web search NEUTRAL — Gen Z women were twice as likely as Millennial women, and four times as likely as Gen X women, to agree that marriage entitles a husband to sex with his wife, even if she does not want to.
https://www.unimelb.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/august/young-p…

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Claim 4: “Young people are significantly more likely than older generations to hold hostile attitudes toward women, and these attitudes are being reflected in classroom behavior, according to new research from the University of Melbourne.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results confirm that University of Melbourne research found young people are more likely than older generations to hold hostile attitudes toward women and that this is reflected in classroom behavior.

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web search NEUTRAL — Young people are significantly more likely than older generations to hold hostile attitudes towards women and these attitudes are being reflected in classroom behaviour, according to new research from…
https://www.unimelb.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/august/young-p…

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web search NEUTRAL — The research identifies misogynistic views as a national security issue closely linked to violent extremism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Wb2JZO7Nc

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web search NEUTRAL — Young people are much more likely than older generations to hold hostile attitudes towards women, that's the finding of new research, conducted by the University of Melbourne.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-19/young-people-more-lik…

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Claim 5: “The first-of-its-kind Australian study surveyed 1,122 young people ages 13–17 and 2,307 adults to compare attitudes toward women, gender equality, online influences and violent extremism.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent web sources confirm the specific sample sizes (1,122 young people aged 13-17 and 2,307 adults) and the scope of the study (attitudes toward women, gender equality, online influences, and violent extremism).

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “This behavior was reported among children as young as 6.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to support the specific claim that this behavior was reported among children as young as 6.

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Claim 7: “Among boys ages 13–17, the study found: 31.8% believed that attempts to give equal opportunities to women in Australia have gone too far”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web sources explicitly cite the figure of 31.8% of boys aged 13-17 believing equal opportunity efforts for women have gone too far.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Melbourne ( MEL-bərn, locally [ˈmæɫbən] ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria and the second-most populous city in Australia. The city's name generally refers to…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Victoria University (VU or Vic Uni) is an Australian public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It is a dual-sector university, providing courses in both higher education and technical a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_University_(Australia…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “The study also surveyed more than 500 Australian schoolteachers about their experiences of misogyny and extremism in classrooms.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that more than 500 Australian schoolteachers were surveyed regarding their experiences with misogyny and extremism in classrooms.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Australian Catholic University (ACU) is a Commonwealth-funded higher education provider constituted as a public company limited by guarantee in Australia. It has seven Australian campuses and also mai…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Catholic_University

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — There are 44 universities in Australia out of which 39 are public universities and 5 private universities. The Commonwealth Higher Education Support Act 2003 sets out three groups of Australian higher…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_universities_in_Austra…

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 9: “Among boys ages 13–17, the study found: 24.7% believed feminism is damaging to our society and should be resisted with violence if necessary”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm the 24.7% figure for boys aged 13-17 believing feminism should be resisted with violence if necessary, though one source mentions a slightly different figure (23.3%) for 'Gen Z males' generally, the specific cohort figure is corroborated.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 10: “Engagement with 'manosphere' content, pornography and online dating showed the strongest links to misogynistic views”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources link misogynistic views in the study to manosphere content, pornography, and online dating.

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web search NEUTRAL — Researchers tied the views to what young people consume online, pointing to manosphere content, pornography and online dating as the strongest links to misogyny.
https://thoughtcatalog.com/xstockton/2026/09/a-university-of…

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web search NEUTRAL — A new University of Melbourne study reveals shocking rates of youth misogyny in Australia. Here is how we break the manosphere pipeline.
https://manofmany.com/culture/university-melbourne-youth-mis…

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web search NEUTRAL — Misogynistic views linked back to just three things: manosphere content, pornography and online dating.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/queensland-churches-together_…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.