UK Girls Describe 'Rape Lists' as Part of Daily School Misogyny

A group of teenage girls in Tyneside, north-east England, have spoken out about the extreme misogyny they regularly experience at school and online — including discovering that boys had compiled a "rape list" ranking female classmates.

"Boys ordering girls, who they want to rape the most and then the least," one girl told the BBC. "It is frightening because you don't know people's real intentions." Another described feeling "worthless" upon learning of the list.

A Pattern Across Schools

Catherine Marchant, CEO of Impact Family Services in South Tyneside, told the BBC she sees the pattern "across the region in all schools". She warned that normalising violent misogyny online and in the classroom can lead young women to accept abuse in their earliest relationships.

"Sadly, we're getting young women aged 15, 16, 17 now recognising that they've been abused in their first relationships. They think this is what relationships are about," she said.

Government Response

The North East has the highest rate of violence against women and girls in England. The government said it is "taking bold and decisive action to halve violence against women and girls" and is introducing changes from September to help teachers challenge misogynistic language and behaviour in schools.