Dr. Sara Meger from the University of Melbourne presented her findings to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, highlighting that misogyny significantly contributes to the rise of extremism among young males. Her research indicates that the influence of social media figures, particularly Andrew Tate and the broader manosphere, has notably shaped the perspectives of both young men and women.
During her testimony, Dr. Meger advocated for the implementation of preventive programs aimed at children as young as six to combat the propagation of misogynistic beliefs. The commission has been investigating the roots of antisemitism and radicalization, with expert testimonies shedding light on these critical issues.
Dr. Meger’s study, which surveyed 1,100 boys aged 13 to 17 and 2,300 adults, discovered that misogynistic attitudes were the strongest indicators of a propensity towards extremist ideologies. She emphasized that these attitudes were more predictive than political affiliation, religious beliefs, ethnicity, or online interactions. The research revealed that the acceptance of violence against women, when combined with gendered online behaviors—such as engagement with male influencers, online dating, and pornography—explained between 90 to 97 percent of the variance in responses to measures of violent extremism.
She also shared insights from a conversation with a representative of the Department of Home Affairs, noting that over two-thirds of their cases related to countering violent extremism involved young boys and men aged 10 to 24. Dr. Meger remarked on the disproportionate representation of this demographic in counter-extremism initiatives.
Following the release of her research, Dr. Meger expressed her astonishment at the reactions on social media, where many comments suggested that the reported level of misogyny among young men was underestimated. She recounted that some users remarked, “those are rookie numbers, we’ve got to pump those numbers up.”
In addition to quantitative data, Dr. Meger’s research incorporated qualitative insights from over 500 Australian educators regarding the expression of misogynistic and extremist views in educational settings. She reported that about 25 percent of the surveyed teachers encountered sentiments among students justifying violence against government authority. These educators noted a prevalence of hostile misogynistic views among students, as well as instances of racism and admiration for foreign political violence, including the drawing of swastikas in school environments.
Dr. Meger concluded by reiterating the urgent need for early intervention programs for children as young as six years old. She asserted that integrating awareness and risk assessment of misogynistic attitudes into educational frameworks could enhance the effectiveness of early intervention strategies against various political ideologies.
