A new study reveals that one in four schoolgirls has been called a degrading name online, while 57% of boys admit to using such language against female classmates, often out of fear of being labelled 'boring' for not joining in with misogynistic banter. The findings come from a Barnardo's survey of 4,000 young people aged 13 to 20, which describes online abuse as 'constant, corrosive and deeply embedded' in their lives.
Barnardo's study highlights scale of online misogyny
The research also found that nearly one in five girls report receiving repeated messages after asking the sender to stop or ignoring them. Boys, meanwhile, feel afraid to challenge their peers, with more than a fifth saying their friends wouldn't back them if they called out sexist comments. A striking 59% of boys feel they need to 'act tough and not show emotion'.
Samai, a 21-year-old university student working with Barnardo's, believes most parents are 'clueless' about the language their sons use to insult women. 'They're not going to go home and call people bops or foids,' she told Metro. 'Your mum won't know what looks-maxxing is and won't understand.'
Key misogynistic terms and their meanings
Samai explains that 'bop' is currently the most popular term to belittle women. 'That's the main one right now – it's the go-to word if you want to call a woman a slag,' she says. Urban Dictionary defines bop as 'blown out p**sy, a vagina so stretched out that the act of intercourse is anti-climatic'. Samai adds: 'You can't win because you'll be called frigid for not getting with the boy at the party, but if you do get with that boy, you're called a bop.'
'Huzz' is another 'huge one' according to Samai, heard frequently in her friendship group. It's a stylised, rhyming alternative to 'hoe'. Samai notes that boys as young as 10 or 11 use these words against girls in their class. 'Chopped' is the latest slang for ugly, replacing 'clapped'. 'Foid' is a portmanteau of 'female' and 'humanoid', typically used by incels. 'Soy boy' labels men seen as weak or effeminate, while 'Sub5' refers to a rating under 5 on the looksmaxxing scale, effectively meaning ugly.
Parents urged to start open conversations
Amelia Barlow, programme manager of Barnardo's Call It What It Is campaign, says the rapidly evolving language is a huge issue. 'It's such a quickly evolving picture, so as soon as adults understand and recognise the terms that young people online are using, they evolve and change immediately,' she explains. 'This is a) to evade moderation from tech companies, but b) to remain culturally relevant, relatable and edgy to teenagers who are seeking that sense of identity and belonging they might not have in their everyday interactions.'
Barlow encourages parents to start open and non-judgemental conversations about what children see online. BACP-accredited therapist Jenny Warwick suggests asking questions like: 'What do you think about how some people talk about gender online?' She stresses the importance of helping children recognise manipulation techniques used by extremist groups, such as the 'us vs. them' mentality, and discussing healthy relationships and the echo chamber effect of social media.
Barnardo's is urging the government to upgrade Ofcom's violence against women and girls guidance to a mandatory code of practice. 'It's not going to fix everything, but it's one part of the puzzle,' Amelia says. Parents are encouraged to stay informed and maintain open dialogue with their children about online culture.
