Turning tide?

"Young men are in crisis - and nobody seems to care," reads one headline. "The West's lost boys," laments another. It is described as the "modern male struggle", a "crisis of manhood", a "mass entrapment".

Behold, the real victims of Andrew Tate: men. To some, it is a perplexing conclusion to draw from a story in which the alleged victims are women.¹ But men and boys have been in the spotlight since concerns were first raised about the disgraced influencer, with many expressing fears that men are being radicalised by social media.

Tate, who has been arrested on charges of sexual trafficking and rape, gained prominence for lengthy misogynistic diatribesForceful and bitter verbal attacks. which have billions of views across various social media platforms^_.2

Across the UK, schools have made a concerted effort to educate their students about just how perniciouslyHaving a harmful effect, often in a subtle or gradual way. sexist Tate's rhetoric is. The focus is on young male pupils who may have been particularly susceptible to his message.

Some claim that Tate is the natural figurehead of a global male backlash against feminism. Recent surveys show that 50% of men in the UK believe that feminism has "gone too far" and a third of men think that traditional masculinity is under threat.

Another journalist referred to Tate as just another "bottom feeder in the world's lurch towards the far-right", popular because his "rhetoric about what men deserve appeals to those who feel uneasy in the face of social change and economic downturn".

But where are all of the women? Remarkably invisible, experts say, given that it is women, not men, who Tate is accused of trafficking, raping and physically assaulting.

This is a forced silence, say sexual assault specialists. People who speak out about the effects of sexual violence are often subjected to victim-blaming and accused of lying about their experiences.

"We have become accustomed to leaving them out of the narrative," said one specialist. So when events like this happen, we tend to focus on the effect on perpetrators instead.

Now, some are calling for a cultural shift. The justice system is a key starting point. According to the charity Rape Crisis UK, only one in 100 were reported to the police and resulted in a charge.

One woman allegedly raped by Tate in Britain described showed the police messages in which he writes about strangling her. Her claim was dismissed by the police and Crown Prosecution ServiceThe agency that prosecutes people in criminal trials after they have been investigated by the police. as lacking substantial evidence.

Some suggest making misogyny into a hate crime. This would allow police to record when crimes against women were motivated by their gender. It could encourage them to take gender-based violence more seriously and empower victims to report their experiences.

Others scoff at the suggestion, citing the low conviction and reporting rates for sexual crimes and saying hate crime legislation would merely add red tapeOfficial rules and processes that are unnecessary and delay results. to an already difficult reporting process.

Some caution against adding fuel to the idea that feminism is not really about equality. Making violence against women a hate crime, and not violence against men, could set a dangerous precedent.

Yes: We need to do everything we can to ensure that women's issues are taken seriously. Making misogyny into a hate crime would acknowledge the ways in which women are still marginalised and offer support.

No: It is clear that misogyny is endemicCommon to a particular place or community. in the legal system. It is not fair that only 2% of allegations lead to prosecutions. Making misogyny into a hate crime would not fix this issue. First and foremost, women need a safe and fair place to report sexual violence.

Or... We should explore a range of alternative justice options. Some fear making violence against women but not men a hate crime could ultimately lead to more misogynistic views.