UK Politics

Extreme misogyny will be treated as a form of terrorism for the first time under government plans, it was reported.

Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, has ordered a review of the counter-terrorism strategy to address violence against women and girls and identify gaps in current legislation and examine emerging ideologies, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

Under the proposals, teachers would be legally required to refer pupils they suspect of extreme misogyny to Prevent, the UK government’s counter-terror programme.

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The review is expected to be completed this autumn as part of a new counter-extremism strategy which is set to be unveiled by the Home Office next year.

There are several extremism categories ranked by the Home Office including “incel”, or “involuntarily celibate”, an online subculture in which a misogynistic worldview is promoted by men who blame women for their lack of sexual opportunities.

Last month, a senior police officer warned that online influencers like Andrew Tate could radicalise young men and boys into extreme misogyny in the same way terrorists draw in their followers.

Deputy chief constable Maggie Blyth, national lead for policing violence against women and girls (VAWG), said the influencing of young boys online is “quite terrifying”.

She said the Online Safety Act needs to go further and that faster action should be taken to protect children.

Blyth said senior officers who focus on violence against women and girls are in contact with counter-terrorism teams to look at the risk of young men being radicalised.

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Last year, counter-extremism workers warned of a rise in the number of cases being referred to them by schools concerned about the influence of Tate.

Incidents included the verbal harassment of female teachers or other pupils and outbursts echoing the influencer’s views.

One frontline worker handling cases under the Prevent programme told the Guardian: “He [Tate] obviously doesn’t fit within the Prevent sphere but incels do. He is parallel to them and has a crossover. When I’m in schools I find myself describing him, effectively, as toxic misogyny on steroids.”