I used to be a misogynistic loser incel internet kid

From my experience, I remember quite vividly how difficult it was for speakers and teachers to reach pupils on this matter. The backlash there was in reaction to assemblies on sexual harassment towards women was palpable. In my opinion, it was because the speakers unknowingly took a confrontational approach to talking about the subject. Speeches filled with ‘don’t do this’ and ‘don’t do that’, emphasising moralistic arguments against online sexual harassment. Don’t get me wrong, I think that both of those points are absolutely crucial to preventing online abuse - they still absolutely achieved their goal of raising awareness. But I also think its not the most effective way of reaching younger men.

When I came out of those assemblies, the conversations at break time were never receptive to what the speakers were saying. Boys felt confused, and punished for something they felt only a small number of men had perpetrated. As a corollary, I felt they were less receptive to the general idea of talking about online harm. They felt antagonised, lectured to , and unheard themselves.

I think that through your project, there is a way of reaching younger men in such a way that they feel heard. Younger men are drawn into extremist misogynistic rabbit holes though a feeling of social isolation and alienation - behind our screens looks like a potential avenue for preventing that.

To be quite candid, I used to be a misogynist loser incel internet kid, making shit memes about women being boring so I could get 40,000 likes on Reddit and a nice little dopamine hit. I understand the infrastructure though which a misogynistic ideology promulgates, and the reasons for which a young man might find that ideology appealing.

I was drawn into this world because it gave me a reason for why I didn’t get female attention and I didn’t have to take responsibility. I only came through the other side of it because I have an amazing mum who argued with every point I made, eloquently, clearly and repeatedly.

I’ve been in sports locker rooms, discord servers, classrooms, the works. I believe that changing young male attitudes in all male-spaces would help reduce cases of online abuse. By finding a way to toe the line between listening to young men and appealing to their value, and cautioning against the radical content they are exposed to, they could be reached.