From “lurid innuendos” to verbal abuse and physical assault, female teachers are bearing the brunt of a new wave of sexism and misogyny in Australian schools, according to research from Adelaide University.
Published in Gender and Education, the study points to the influence of the online manosphere – which frames masculinity around dominance and claims that gender equality has disadvantaged men – alongside policy gaps and systemic issues that researchers say are contributing to extreme incidents of gendered abuse in classrooms.
The research characterises the behaviour as deliberate and predominantly enacted by boys and young men who are attempting to gain status, impress their peers or challenge female authority.
Adelaide University researcher Associate Professor Sam Schulz said this behaviour isn’t a case of disrespect – it’s learned gendered power dynamics.
“Sexism and misogyny in schools are not new problems, but what we’re seeing now is more overt, more extreme, and more animated expressions of gendered abuse,” A/Prof Schulz said.
“These moments don’t come out of nowhere; they are the predictable result of long term policy neglect.
“For years, schools have treated gendered power behaviours as ‘being disruptive’ or ‘acting out’, but with female teachers increasingly on the frontline of what is fundamentally a safety issue, this is no longer something that can be ignored.”
In 2024, the Australian Prime Minister declared that Australia faced a ‘national crisis’ of violence against women with one woman killed every four days by a current or former partner.
The qualitative study draws on 160 survey responses and 14 in-depth interviews with Australian secondary school teachers across a range of school settings and geographic locations.
With schools being a core part of life for almost every young Australian, the Adelaide University researchers said they are powerful places to shape attitudes. They say that schools have a clear responsibility to help prevent harmful gender norms.
Accounts from secondary school teachers in this research include reports of overt sexualise aggression towards female staff by both parents and students, and a systemic failure by their employers to acknowledge, address or provide support when such incidents were reported.
Co-researcher, Adelaide University’s Dr Sarah McDonald, said that the lack of institutional support compounded the harm.
“We know that misogynistic behaviours are not only increasing in schools but becoming more overt and extreme. Yet when female teachers speak up, they are too often told they misinterpreted what happened, that they should manage it better, or that they are overreacting,” Dr McDonald said.
“This shifts responsibility away from systems and onto individual women, which is both unjust and unsustainable.
“What we’re really seeing is a systemic failure in how schools respond to misogyny, with a lack of clear frameworks, inconsistent responses, and limited recognition of the gendered dynamics at play.”
The study calls for system-wide action in schools, including strong policy frameworks that prioritise gender literacy, strengthen the government’s Consent and Respectful Relationships Education initiatives, and recognise sexism and misogyny as structural problems rather than isolated behavioural issues.
“Gender justice cannot be an optional extra or left to the goodwill of individual educators,” Dr McDonald said. “It must be embedded in policy, curriculum and accountability mechanisms.
“At the same time, we must ensure that teachers truly understand gender literacy – both through Initial Teacher Education when they commence their careers, and professional development as they progress.
“Every graduate teacher should leave university equipped to recognise, respond to and prevent sexism and misogyny. This is not specialist knowledge – it is core professional capability – and the learnings are lifelong.”
