As fathers make up fewer than one quarter of parent responses to an online safety consultation aiming to reflect the UK public, concern has arisen about why men engage less than women
Calls for greater male participation in a public consultation about online safety have come as figures show dads in the UK make up less than a quarter of parent responses, despite boys and young men being subjected to harm including body shaming, misogynistic ‘banter’ and addictive behaviours.
The 12 week government consultation into online safety measures to protect children and young people online will close on May 26, but so far dads have submitted fewer than 6,500 of the 28,000 parent responses collected so far.
The consultation is asking for adults and young people to respond to a series of suggestions, including a social media ban for children under 16, screen-time curfews and a ban on phones in schools.
Labour’s Kanishka Narayan MP, the Minister for Online Safety Minister led calls for greater participation from dads in the UK, adding: “Right now, far more mums have shared their views than dads, but fathers have just as vital a role to play in keeping their children safe online – and we want to hear from them too.”
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Lee Chambers, CEO of Male Allies UK, which promotes male participation in gender equality action, said concerns about being judged, fear about saying the wrong thing or a sense of online harm not being an issue that directly affects men, would likely be creating barriers to taking part.
He said: “Online misogyny is much more prevalent, and men and boys might see this more as about protecting others than including them, and not see themselves in the issue. They may also engage less through fear of saying the wrong thing or being judged.”
The Preston-based psychologist also said men and boys were far less likely to ask for help or support, despite there being specific issues affecting them online, including gambling and isolation connected to dependency on AI companions and gaming.
Click here to see what response rates look like where you live:
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He said pressure on men and boys was also often connected to physical appearance, adding: “There’s more extreme forms of banter culture in certain forums and spaces, and places where body shaming and ‘looksmaxxing’ [an online culture focusing on maximising physical attractiveness] push extreme body ideals that make men and boys feel inadequate and take risks to overcompensate.
“Gambling adverts and content is heavily pushed towards men and boys, having real world consequences.
“And all this is compounded with boys being less likely to report harm or seek support, again for a variety of reasons.”
Mr Chambers urged men and boys to take part in the consultation, which is open to anyone in the UK including children and young people.
And he called on the government to make efforts to widen and normalise male participation, adding:
“Framing it around things that boys are more likely to engage with, from platforms to games to content creators, will make it feel more relevant and familiar. “Making it easy and quick is also beneficial, and show men are contributing and other men will think it’s a normal and valuable thing to do.”
Regional participation in the consultation is also varied, with lower response rates from the Midlands, the north of England and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Mr Narayan said the government wanted a wider representation across the UK, adding: “This is an issue that matters to families of every background, in every region – and it’s so important that everyone has a direct say in the action we take. I don’t want this to be a consultation that only reflects one part of the country.”
Search ‘Growing up in an online world’ to find the government consultation and take part.
For more support with the issues raised visit the NSPCC and InternetMatters.org .