From the classroom to the locker room: nine days of ‘deeply disturbing’ sexual assault allegations shake Australia
Australia is facing a wave of sexual assault allegations involving teenagers, professional athletes, and students, sparking a national conversation about toxic masculinity. Educators report that misogynistic social norms and degrading content are increasingly influencing young boys in schools.
Why it matters
This trend highlights a growing societal crisis regarding gender-based violence and the influence of digital culture on the behavior of young men.
Teachers told Guardian Australia that boys can bark at female teachers and post degrading content. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP Teachers told Guardian Australia that boys can bark at female teachers and post degrading content. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP Sexual harassment From the classroom to the locker room: nine days of ‘deeply disturbing’ sexual assault allegations shake Australia Spaces where there are norms of sexism and high levels of alcohol consumption can be a risk factor for sexual violence, expert says
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Cait Kelly Fri 21 Aug 2026 11.00 EDT Last modified on Fri 21 Aug 2026 21.18 EDT Share Prefer the Guardian on Google For the fourth time that week, youth advocate and educator Daniel Principe stood in a classroom and asked the same question: Are female teachers respected as much as male ones?
“The boys unanimously said no,” Principe says.
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