This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Andrew Tate, a self-described misogynist and an online influencer with millions of followers, faces charges in several countries of allegedly causing physical harm, including rape and sex trafficking of women and girls. Tate is a prominent figure in the manosphere, a loosely connected network of online forums and sites united by beliefs in male supremacy.
This messaging has increasingly moved to mainstream platforms, as social media algorithms on sites like YouTube and TikTok steer young men and boys toward manosphere content sometimes within minutes of opening an account. Tate's behaviors are an extreme example of manosphere ideologies spilling into the physical world, harming women as well as the men and boys taken in by the messaging. The growth of the manosphere has been attributed to backlash toward the #MeToo movement, which encouraged women to speak up about sexual violence.
There is also evidence that increased isolation and time spent online during the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to many men finding these communities. Nearly half of U.S. women experience unwanted sexual contact in their lifetimes, and 1 in 5 experience attempted rape or rape. Some countries are taking the initiative to curb sexually violent content online.
For instance, the U.K. in 2026 implemented several guidelines for social media companies to reduce the spread of misogynistic and sexually violent content to young men and boys. But U.S. federal and state legislation is not keeping up. As social scientists in social work and psychology, we study the ways sexual violence and masculinities intersect with digital technologies.
The growth and cultural salience of manosphere communities have made them increasingly relevant to the work we do. A violence prevention specialist we talked to in October 2026 said he is struggling to engage men and boys and to keep up with a changing landscape that includes online messaging. For every Tate there are many more people launching misinformation and hateful content about women through topics that seem less directly tied to it, like working out, playing video games or just talking.
These conversations connect with people's day-to-day lives, which makes it easy to then slip in disparaging comments about women. People who counsel sexual violence survivors are also struggling with the added burden of online influence, said Kim Foster, a police department senior victim assistance specialist we also interviewed in October. The women Foster works with are often "expecting to be belittled," she said.
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