Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Online Misogyny: Victims

Tuesday 16 December 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Irene Campbell asked the Department what steps it is taking to help protect victims of online misogyny through the criminal justice system.
  • Jim Shannon inquired about discussions the Minister has had to work with the Republic of Ireland to combat online misogyny across the United Kingdom.
  • The Minister emphasized the need for collaborative efforts across jurisdictions to tackle online misogyny crimes, noting the importance of working together to address issues without borders.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Irene Campbell Lab North Ayrshire and Arran
Crime & Law Enforcement Women & Equalities
Context

Dr Sam Rice has established a charity called Kids For Now, supporting parents in delaying smartphone use for their children. Ofsted reports indicate that 80% of teenage girls face pressure to share sexual images, which often become public online.

Question

What steps is the Department taking to help protect victims of online misogyny through the criminal justice system? My constituent Dr Sam Rice has set up a grassroots charity called Kids For Now, which supports parents who want to delay smartphones for their children. There is much evidence to support that approach. For example, Ofsted has found that 80% of teenage girls are put under pressure to provide sexual images of themselves, which often end up online. Does the Minister agree that the effect that online misogyny has on children must be tackled?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Alex Davies-Jones)

I totally agree with my hon. Friend. Online misogyny radicalises our boys, pressures our girls, and fuels harmful attitudes. It must be tackled in order to protect all our children. The Government are acting through tougher laws, including the Online Safety Act 2023, and our upcoming violence against women and girls strategy will protect children from harm online. Prevention is fundamental, so we are supporting schools to teach children about respect, consent and healthy relationships.

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Q2 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Crime & Law Enforcement Northern Ireland Women & Equalities
Context

No specific incident or statistic provided, but the issue of online misogyny has no geographical boundaries.

Question

It is quite clear that it is important that we all work together across the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Indeed, we should take that a stage further and work together with the Republic of Ireland to ensure that we both can combat online misogyny. What discussions has the Minister had with the relevant Minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly on how we can do that work better in this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Alex Davies-Jones)

The hon. Gentleman will know that these crimes have no borders, especially online misogyny crimes. They do not take place in a silo, and it will take all of us to tackle them, including those of us in the England and Wales jurisdiction of the criminal justice system and those across our devolved counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland—and, as he states, in the Republic of Ireland too. We regularly meet with our counterparts to discuss these issues, and no stone will be left unturned when it comes to tackling misogyny.

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