BLOG: From the Manosphere to Merseyside, prevention must start long before the criminal justice system is involved
23.03.26 - Merseyside
Louis Theroux’s Manosphere documentary has sparked a national reckoning with something parents and teachers have warned about for years: an online world where misogyny is repackaged as banter, “self‑improvement,” or entertainment.
For many boys, these messages aren’t just background noise – they’re shaping how they see women, relationships, and themselves.
And here in Merseyside, we know exactly where harmful attitudes can lead.
More than 117,000 people experience domestic abuse in our region every year, with women overwhelmingly the victims.
Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) isn’t just a priority – it’s urgent.
Manosphere makes one thing clear: prevention must start long before the criminal justice system is involved.
That’s why, throughout March, Merseyside Police’s Safer Schools team and local partners have been having honest, sometimes uncomfortable conversations with boys – and girls – about the pressures of the online world they’re growing up in.
These sessions give them space to unpack myths pushed by influencers like Andrew Tate, challenge harmful attitudes, and explore what real strength, respect, and responsibility look like.
Last week, I saw this work first-hand.
Boys from six local schools took part in a powerful interactive session, including a moving performance by girls at St Julie’s Catholic High School in Speke, exposing the real impact of VAWG and exploitation. They also heard from local role models – actor Jack McMullen and world champion boxer Tony Bellew – who spoke openly about resilience, responsibility, and the power of positive choices. These are exactly the kind of voices boys need.
If we want to keep girls safe, we must equip boys to reject dangerous narratives and understand the consequences when they don’t.
That’s the driving force behind our Man to Man campaign – calling men and boys in, not out, and encouraging them to challenge harmful behaviour.
Preventing violence isn’t a women’s issue. It’s everyone’s – and it starts with the messages our boys hear today.