Jaimee Rogers:
Welcome back. Modern feminism, masculinity, and what’s being taught to young people in schools has become one of the most fiercely debated cultural issues of our time, with growing concerns about the impact it’s having on boys, girls, and the relationship between the sexes.
Joining me now is author at the Institute of Public Affairs, Bella d’Abrera, whose latest piece in the spectator argues an entire generation is being shaped by ideology that is driving division between men and women and fundamentally changing how boys and masculinity are viewed in society.
Bella, thank you for coming on tonight. I’m a mom of two young boys, so when I see articles like yours, it really catches my attention. Do you think we have a big problem in society where boys are caught between the extremes? On one hand, there’s that constant narrative around toxic masculinity while on the other, there’s that rise of the manosphere online where they’re really trying to go against that narrative that they’ve been taught.
Bella d’Abrera:
Well, thanks very much. Good afternoon, Jaimee. Thanks for having me on. Look, I can understand why you’re concerned as a mother of two boys because in Australia at the moment, boys and girls are being drawn into very adult ideological battles that are basically taking place in the classroom. And while there is very unhealthy material online, I am very concerned with, and I’ve been writing about what’s actually going on in the schools because that’s where parents are required to trust. They trust schools that their children are being taught properly. But unfortunately what’s going on at the moment is that schools are teaching a version of an ideology which basically says that boys and masculinity is toxic, which is obviously very damaging for society.
Jaimee Rogers:
Where do you believe the line is between teaching respect but then making sure that you don’t demonise boys in the process?
Bella d’Abrera:
Look, I mean, the line couldn’t be clearer between teaching respect and what they’re actually telling boys. They’re two very different things. I mean, teaching respect to boys is common sense. It’s telling them that they’re capable of self-control, of responsibility, of courage, of humility, of all these excellent qualities. But what’s actually going on is that boys are being told that their sex is inherently toxic, that they are dangerous to society, and that they need to atone for being male, which is something very, very different from how they package these programmes, which sounds very good. It sounds like, well, obviously most parents want their children to grow up with these qualities, but they’re very, very different. They’re two very different things.
Jaimee Rogers:
Within the article that I was mentioning at the top, it was interesting how you said 75% of British women now under 25 find men despicable. What is driving this dramatic shift in attitudes between young men and women? Is it purely just from what they have been taught at school or is it just continues then in the social media space and this constant demonization of men is what makes women now find them so deplorable?
Bella d’Abrera:
Look, I think you’re right. It’s a combination of things. It’s ideology, it’s social media, and it’s a breakdown of this natural trust between men and women. And my point is that schools have not been neutral in this and they are largely to blame. The education system is largely to blame from this terrible breakdown relationships between men and women. And this poll that I mentioned in my article is very disturbing because as you just quoted, over 70% of young women under 25 hate men. And unfortunately, the opposite was not true. It doesn’t go the other way. So there’s a total breakdown between the sexes, and this is really down to this ideology which has been pedalled in schools, which tells women that they’re oppressed, which tells men that they’re the oppressors and which really is causing great problems in society. And we have the stats now to show that it’s actually having an effect.
Jaimee Rogers:
Well, Bella, you have a new book out that’s called Mindless: How the Education System is Indoctrinating Children and Destroying Our Civilization. I will certainly be reading it. Thank you so much for your time tonight.
Bella d’Abrera:
Thank you so much.
This transcript with Dr Bella d’Arbrera talking on Sky News Australia from 17 May 2026 has been edited for clarity.
