Act/

Prevent

Media literacy, violence prevention, gender equality and comprehensive sexuality education reduce the likelihood that boys are drawn into the manosphere. These competencies can be taught. However, they require resources and also challenge adults to engage with complex and sometimes uncomfortable questions.

Trusting

Relationships

The virtual manosphere exerts a strong pull on many male adolescents. Research on which preventive measures work best for which groups and at which developmental stages remains limited. Protective factors may vary depending on individual motivation and available resources.

General protective factors include:

Social inclusion and trusting relationships
Media, internet and social media literacy
Time, interests and relationships in offline contexts
Self-efficacy, the belief in one’s ability to achieve goals and make a difference
Resilience, the ability to cope with rejection, frustration, failure and uncertainty
Education, life opportunities and participation
Psychosocial competencies, including self-awareness and the ability to express oneself authentically
The capacity to tolerate ambiguity and complexity
Stable values that provide orientation and a sense of security

Core Gender Foundations:

Understanding that masculinity is not a law of nature and that ways of being a man are shaped and changeable
Recognising that social transformation also makes masculinity more complex, and that women or gender equality initiatives are not to blame
Acknowledging the equal value of women and men, and questioning exaggerated claims of fundamental difference
Trusting that boys and men are perceived as romantically and sexually attractive when they know themselves, are aware of their emotions and can express them.

Strengthening these protective factors and competences is a shared responsibility. Parents, professionals and other adult role models must work together with society, the economy and policymakers.

Reflecting on Masculinity

Current research³² suggests that the following protective factors and structural conditions can counteract the pull of the manosphere:

Strengthening digital literacy: General media education, and particularly social media competence, should be reinforced. This includes supporting young people in developing “influencer literacy” or “manfluencer literacy”, meaning the ability to recognise, critically assess and understand the commercial strategies, persuasive techniques and aesthetic codes used by influencers. Education about how algorithms function and how online platforms monetise attention is also recommended.
In the school context, a range of measures are discussed and or recommended. These include professional development for teachers to raise awareness of online misogyny; structured reflection on masculinity and the inclusion of positive male role models in the curriculum; workshops addressing gender bias; counter-messaging strategies and the teaching of neutralisation techniques; disciplinary measures and/or restorative justice approaches in response to sexist incidents; regular communication with parents about problematic online behaviour; targeted restrictions of internet access in schools, such as blocking specific sites; the development of dedicated teaching materials³³; the creation of safe space concepts within classroom settings; strengthening belonging and trusting relationships; integrating gender and diversity reflection into curricula; lessons on discrimination, respect and fairness; and the early identification of bullying.
For boys drawn into the manosphere, targeted outreach to at-risk male adolescents, particularly through same-gender peers, is recommended. Peer support groups and structured programmes can facilitate disengagement, promote alternative narratives and offer exit experiences. In the context of incel forums in particular, the involvement of affected individuals and former incels as credible insiders is advised. The development and scaling of online group-based support is also seen as a promising approach.

In addition, sustained reflection on masculinity (see subsection Encourage) and critical engagement with ideology are required, alongside the strengthening of connection, participation and psychosocial competencies. Professor Carsten Wippermann, in a study commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Family Affairs, also recommends a direct presence within social media environments.³⁴ A cross-party parliamentary group has called for pilot projects that reach male adolescents directly within the manosphere.³⁵ The Digital Youth Work Office of Zurich formulates further recommendations aimed at making the manosphere less attractive to male adolescents.

RECOMMENDABLE

MEDIA CONTENT

Harder Better Faster Stronger -

In this CBC documentary, misinformation expert Timothy Caulfield investigates the claims circulating within the manosphere, examining how fitness culture, men’s groups and online influencers shape contemporary masculinity narratives.

‘Manosphere’ Influencers Prey on the Insecurities of Young Men, Expert Says

A FRANCE 24 interview examining how manosphere influencers exploit young men’s insecurities and promote harmful narratives under the guise of self-improvement.

Rethinking Masculinity

In gender equality work, violence prevention and sexuality education, greater attention should be given to the preventive potential that lies in addressing both the problems boys create and the problems boys face. A purely deficit-oriented approach that focuses only on eliminating disruptive or aggressive behaviour, without offering constructive alternatives, is likely to remain limited in impact and may even prove counterproductive. Effective work with boys requires a balance between acknowledging risks and strengthening resources. It also requires gender reflection and sensitivity to socialisation processes. For many adolescent boys, belonging and recognition as a “real” man are existential concerns. Boys cannot simply be asked to abandon their existing masculinity ideals without being offered credible and attractive alternative ways of being male.³⁶ In violence prevention, the goal is not to eliminate aggression entirely, but to address it constructively, reduce harmful expressions and promote a culture of respectful conflict.³⁷ Aggression can be understood not only as destructive, but also as energy that can be channelled in protective and self-assertive ways. This includes developing controlled access to one’s own impulses, strengthening self-regulation, activating inner resources, and learning both to set boundaries and to respect them.³⁸ Competencies for gender-reflective and resource-oriented work with boys are still not systematically embedded in many social and educational training programmes. Greater efforts are needed to integrate gender-reflective boys’ and men’s work into higher education and professional development. Gender reflection should become a standard element of institutional quality development and an integral part of educational, psychological and social support systems.