Study links misogynistic attitudes to heightened risk of violent extremism in Australia

A new University of Melbourne study surveyed 3,429 Australians on gender attitudes and extremist ideologies, revealing a robust link between misogyny and support for extremist groups. Teen boys showed the highest prevalence of hostile views toward women, surpassing both older men and young women. The analysis found that misogynistic beliefs explained roughly 70 to 80 percent of the variance in extremist responses across six movements, including incels, far-right and white supremacist groups.

Researchers urged that anti-feminist sentiment be incorporated into the national counter-extremism framework, while cautioning against criminalising beliefs alone. The Australian Federal Police confirmed that some individuals charged with extremist offenses also possessed misogynistic content and are exploring better data capture on gender-related factors. Funding for the research came from the Office of National Intelligence.