Inside Andrew Tate's insidious influence on UK classrooms

Self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate says women are men's property, rape victims must 'bear responsibility' for their attacks, and independent females simply don't exist. And yet, his violent and radical views have built him an army of loyal fans, made up of mainly young boys and men, who he claims have turned him into a 'self-made trillionaire'. The kickboxer-turned-controversial-influencer garnered a reputation after his stint on reality TV show Big Brother in 2016.

His cult-like following and stratospheric internet fame then led to him becoming one of the world's most Googled men in 2022 - above Donald Trump. Now Tate, 37, and his infamous brother Tristan are under house arrest as Romanian authorities investigate allegations of human trafficking and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women. Tate, who has been charged with rape, strongly denies any wrongdoing.

Tate made headlines last month when he was called out by Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth as a key driver in the radicalisation of young men in the National Policing Statement 2024 on the rise of violence against women and girls (VAWG), which has been declared a 'national emergency' in the UK. In the unprecedented report, DCC Blyth said Tate's influence over boys is "quite terrifying" and a topic of discussion within the force. Among Tate's extreme views, he has projected that he only dates women aged 18-19 because he can "make an imprint" on them.

He has spoken openly about hitting and choking ex-partners and stopping them from going out. And in one video, he said: "I'm not a rapist, but I like the idea of just being able to do what I want. I like being free.

" At the height of the #MeToo movement in 2017, Tate demonstrated how he would physically assault a female partner if she ever accused him of cheating in footage online. "It's bang out the machete, boom in her face and grip her by the neck. Shut up b***h," he said.

In an interview previously on YouTube, Tate admitted he was "absolutely a misogynist", and said: "I'm a realist and when you're a realist, you're sexist. There's no way you can be rooted in reality and not be sexist." In another video, he said: "Why would you be with a woman who's not a virgin anyway? She is used goods.

Second hand." Before Tate was banned from YouTube, Instagram , Facebook and TikTok for violating website rules over 'toxic' comments against women in 2022, these types of videos were readily available online. TikTok said after the ban that "misogyny is a hateful ideology that is not tolerated" on its platform.

Now, a warning flashes up when you hashtag his name, reading: "Be hate aware." But despite being blocked from almost every online platform, his dominant beliefs still reign supreme on the newsfeeds of many young men's social media. The Mirror found dozens of fan pages dedicated to repeatedly reposting his videos and spreading content glorifying him.

The top video under his name on TikTok is a video of him saying: "Depression is not real." Another records him saying: "If I meet a beautiful woman and she has a child, it doesn't mean I won't f**k her or mess with her a little bit. But the chances of me being long-term with that woman while she has another man's kid, for me personally, are zero.

" Meanwhile, on Instagram fan pages, the comments are flooded with "Tate for president". Tate was also banned from Twitter but has since been reinstated by Elon Musk after the billionaire Tesla founder took over and rebranded it X. His blue-ticked account has more than 10 million followers and he posts his extreme views daily, repeatedly pushing the narrative that the mainstream media is the enemy and that he is "innocent".

One of his most recent reposts from another account reads: "I love men. They literally do everything for us. They built a whole civilisation because women didn't like being cold.

They fight for us, feed us, and protect us and all they want from us is a little gratitude and a b**w j*b every once in a while. Seems like a pretty good deal." Evidence obtained by The Guardian in 2022 found that Tate's followers were told to flood social media with videos of him and chose the most controversial clips to achieve maximum engagement.

That might explain why so many remain online. Dr Tim Squirrel, head of communications at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue previously told to the Mirror : "He does not rely on his own accounts and this is one of the reasons why de-platforming him wasn't particularly effective, but instead he uses a kind of army of boys and young men to post clips of his content." Secondary school teacher and author, Matt Pinkett, puts it down to social media algorithms targeting young students.

He told the Mirror : "Social media platforms have algorithms that push misogynistic content towards teenage boys. Boys are regularly seeing videos by people like Tate where women are sexualised and commodified. Tate pushes the idea that women are inferior and men are superior.

He literally teaches boys to see women as objects for consumption." Matt, who trains schools on how to deal with the surge of misogyny and sexual harassment in the classroom, has been made aware of horrifying comments young boys have recently made about rape and physical abuse in school. He said: "I have heard stories from other teachers across the country who have been threatened with rape by students.

One boy even told a teacher: 'I'm going to go full Andrew Tate on you'." The enormous impact of Tate on classrooms has not gone unnoticed by national charities and organisations. Andrea Simon, executive director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), told the Mirror that one in three boys have a positive view of him.

She said: "Girls and young women are bearing the brunt of this, and teachers are not being given the resources they need to pick up the pieces of the attitudes and behaviours he promotes." Andrea continued: "We know that young men look to online communities for friendship and guidance but they can too easily be drawn into harmful beliefs about manhood and masculinity. This is due to misogynistic influencers marketing themselves as aspirational and a pathway to financial success, and algorithms that promote extremist content in order to generate more clicks and therefore more revenue.

" Experts note that Tate is a prime example of this, as he promotes his dangerous views while frequently showing off his expensive sports cars, private jets, lavish watches and designer clothes. In a podcast interview, he claimed that he earned most of his money at the start of his career through a "little webcam business". He said: "I had 75 women working for me in four locations and I was doing $600,000 (£480,0000) a month from webcam.

" In a now-deleted page on his website, Tate said: "My job was to meet a girl, go on a few dates, sleep with her, test if she's quality, get her to fall in love with me to where she'd do anything I say and then get her on webcam so we could become rich together." His brother Tristan told the Mirror in 2022 that their business was "all a big scam" but claimed authorities couldn't stop them. Tate admitted that his employees posed as models and used 'sob stories' to entice wealthy men to transfer them lump sums of money.

He told the Mirror: "It's an operation of professionals who lure these men in." Tristan added: "Men will give all they have. I've seen men sell cars, TVs.

.. This guy's gran passed away and they were waiting for the sale of the house.

When the house was sold he'd get £20,000 and promised it to [a model], to pay for her fake financial problem." Tate's fortune is also thought to have grown through crypto-currency trading and his online coaching. Previously named Hustler's Academy, his brand Cobratate claims to "teach the secrets to modern wealth creation" to more than 200,000 students worldwide, who pay $49.

99 (£40) a month for tips on "maximising your income". And it's all part of his marketing strategy. In a world with a global cost of living crisis and so many disenfranchised young people, Tate's image and beliefs are very appealing, lead psychologist Dr Stacy Moore told the Mirror.

"His words are compelling and give young boys hope that they too can become successful, attractive and rich, especially when coming from humble beginnings," she explained. Dr Moore said that "in between the misogyny are some actual pearls of wisdom that are helpful and empowering" making the lines between right and wrong blurred. "Interspersed with some very concerning beliefs are actually some highly motivating and inspirational words that are simple and easily accessible," she said.

"And once young boys have seen the positives, and have bought into his image, it becomes harder for them to see him as anything but an inspirational, positive figure." Dr Charlotte Proudman, an award-winning barrister who specialises in violence against women, agreed that many young men find Tate's confidence, success and assertiveness "appealing and aspirational". She told the Mirror: "His content often revolves around themes of self-improvement, financial success, and independence, offering guidance and direction to those seeking it.

" Dr Proudman said that Tate's controversial stance against mainstream social norms "resonates with individuals who feel disenfranchised or frustrated with societal expectations". She added: "He also effectively uses social media platforms to reach a wide audience, leveraging attention-grabbing statements and polarising opinions to gain visibility and followers." But where does it actually start, and how are young men getting radicalised? Dr Proudman explained it often begins with "exposure to extreme or polarising content online".

"Online communities, such as YouTube, Reddit and various forums, can serve as echo chambers where extreme views are reinforced and normalised," she said, adding that algorithms loop back extreme material. And it's commonly the most vulnerable who fall victim. "Young men who feel isolated, rejected, or disillusioned with their lives may be more susceptible to radical ideologies that promise solutions or a sense of belonging," Dr Proudman said.

"Charismatic influencers like Andrew Tate, who project confidence and success, can draw in young men looking for role models, even if the underlying messages are harmful." His content, which frequently promotes toxic masculinity and endorses dominance over women, "contributes to a culture of disrespect and violence against women", Dr Proudman said. She added: "The danger lies in normalising these views, potentially influencing behaviour and attitudes that undermine women's rights and equality.

" For a parent, Tate's influence can be hugely concerning. Psychologist Dr Moore, who is also a mum of two sons aged five and 11, has worries about her children being exposed to Tate's content. "I don't think his messages would resonate with them as they have been raised to have strongly positive views of feminism and allyship," she said.

"That being said, I do worry about the impact of their peer group normalising misogynistic beliefs in adolescence." Dr Moore explained that the influence of social groups "can be very powerful" and the more young men who normalise Tate's views, the more acceptable these misogynistic beliefs may appear to her sons. Dr Moore isn't alone in voicing her concerns - popular online forms have threads of conversations between parents who are afraid of their children consuming Tate's videos.

One Reddit thread is titled: "Looking for parent support sub for kids consuming Andrew Tate." While a Mumsnet thread shows a woman asking for advice about her 13-year-old nephew who "idolises Tate". She wrote: "He kept parroting that he had been re-educated and smirking.

" One anonymous father wrote that his nine-year-old son watches lots of Tate's videos online. He said on Reddit: "First time that I heard a video praising Tate, we spent a good 40 minutes looking at other videos that told the truth about him. [He] doesn't understand much of it yet, but I'm trying to make sure he doesn't fall into that trap.

" Another father of two teenagers said on Reddit that "they are consuming a lot of Andrew Tate's content" and his son is "much more into him". "He listens to multiple hour-long podcasts of interviews with the Tate brothers. His friends are also obsessed with Tate," he wrote.

"I want to discuss this with my kids but I'm afraid of sounding like that old uncool dad." Many parents are clearly struggling to have conversations at home. And despite multiple documentaries exploring his dark influence - like BBC's Andrew Tate: The Man Who Groomed The World and Channel 4's I Am Andrew Tate - as English teacher Matt points out, there aren't many teenage boys watching Newsnight.

For this reason, awareness needs to be raised in schools. Matt said: "I take the time to listen to what they find appealing about Tate. Listening to what boys think or need is important, particularly given that Tate is telling these boys that society doesn't care what they think or need.

More often than not, you actually find out that lots of boys disagree with Tate's views on women. And for the few that do, they need a lot of education and a lot of support to get them to a place where they can see through Tate's harmful rhetoric." Barrister Dr Proudman agrees that education is crucial in addressing the influence of figures like Tate, and we should highlight positive role models who promote healthy, respectful attitudes toward women.

She added: "Social media platforms should enforce policies against hate speech and harmful content, ensuring that misogynistic rhetoric is not easily spread. Engaging with young men directly to challenge harmful beliefs and provide alternative viewpoints, emphasising respect, equality, and empathy, can also make a significant difference." While VAWG coalition leader Andrea said the issue is "far bigger than one individual".

She said: "We need to be looking at the conditions that enable a man like Andrew Tate to behave in this way without consequences and even profit from it. Tate is the product of a deeply unequal society that continues to uphold harmful attitudes towards women, minimise abuse and justify it as a normal part of life." Andrea added: "If the new government is serious about its mission to halve violence against women and girls in 10 years, it must prioritise and invest in work to prevent abuse, including quality relationships and sex education in schools, and hold accountable the tech companies that are promoting misogynistic content and profiting from survivors' abuse.

" Charlotte Hooper, head of operations at The Cyber Helpline told the Mirror that social media platforms and technology companies play a vital role in protecting women. "Many have implemented great tools to improve safety but there is still significant work to do," she explained. Charlotte said that while automated content moderation may flag up keywords - like TikTok's warning on Tate's name - these systems "often lack contextual understanding of the context", meaning his videos are still displayed on fan pages and with related searches.

"There is a way to go in finding the balance between these options," she said. A TikTok spokesman confirmed that Tate is permanently banned from the platform and told the Mirror its teams have been taking action against videos and accounts relating to him, using a combination of technologies to identify, review and where appropriate, remove content or accounts that violate their community guidelines. The spokesman said: "Our Community Guidelines make clear what content is acceptable on our platform, and we do not allow hateful behaviour or violent threats against groups or individuals on the basis of protected attributes.

We regularly work with experts to ensure that we are providing and promoting resources to help support and educate our community." Tate has also been banned from Meta platforms since 2022. The company, which owns Facebook and Instagram, says any glorification, material support or representation of individuals or organisations is removed under their Dangerous Organisations and Individuals policy .

Under these rules, Meta does not allow gender-based hate, any threats of sexual violence or threats to share non-consensual intimate imagery. The Mirror reached out to Andrew Tate for comment. We could not contact X for comment as the platform no longer has a team dedicated to media enquiries.

If you are affected by the issues raised in this article, contact SARSAS on [email protected] or reach out for NHS advice on help after rape or sexual assault.

Are you a young supporter of Andrew Tate? Or a teacher who has experienced misogyny in the classroom? Get in touch. Email nia.dalton@reachplc.

com..