For many teachers, dealing with difficult behaviour has long been considered part of the job. But new research suggests something more troubling is unfolding in Australian classrooms.
From sexually charged comments and degrading language to outright intimidation and assault, female teachers are increasingly being targeted by a form of misogyny that researchers say is learned, deliberate and becoming harder to ignore.
A study from Adelaide University has linked the trend to the growing influence of the online "manosphere" – a network of influencers and communities that promote male dominance and resentment towards women.
Experts say the behaviour goes well beyond simple disrespect, reflecting deeper gendered power dynamics that are playing out in schools and leaving many female educators on the frontline of what they describe as a serious workplace safety issue.
Adelaide University researcher Associate Professor Sam Schulz said this behaviour isn’t just 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,” Associate Professor Schulz said. “These moments don’t come out of nowhere; they are the predictable result of long-term policy neglect.”
Associate Professor Schulz believes the conversation needs to move beyond behaviour management.
“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, they are powerful places to shape attitudes. Researchers say that schools have a clear responsibility to help prevent harmful gender norms.
Recent incidents underscore the urgency of the issue, including a Brisbane school where a teacher alleged a ‘culture of misogyny’ after being surrounded by hundreds of students and pelted with food, with her concerns reportedly dismissed as ‘boys will be boys’. Researchers say such cases highlight how harmful behaviour can be minimised, reinforcing the need for clearer, system-wide responses.
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 compounds the harm.
“We know that misogynistic behaviours are not only increasing in schools but becoming more overt and extreme,” Dr McDonald said. “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, said Dr McDonald, teachers must 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.”
The orginal version of this story appeared as a media release from Adelaide University.