A teaching union has warned that a "masculinity crisis is brewing" in UK schools after almost a quarter of female teachers it surveyed reported that they have been subject to misogynistic abuse from a pupil in the last year.
It is the fourth year in a row that NASUWT has surveyed a rise in teachers reporting misogyny from pupils – up to 23.4% from 17.4% in 2023.
One teacher described the misogyny as "traumatising", while others said it leaves them feeling "humiliated" and "violated".
Matt Wrack, NASUWT's general secretary, said if female teachers are struggling to contain gender-based aggression, it is a "ticking time bomb" and male students need to be helped before "it is too late".
Wrack said: "We have a masculinity crisis brewing in our schools. Teachers desperately need increased support to deal with this new frontier of behaviour management."
Responding to the survey, one of the female teachers said a student made AI naked images of her and other girls, which she labelled "horrifying".
Another respondent said: "Boys have confronted me, shouted at me. Have had boys joke about raping girls in front of me and laughed about it when challenged."
Teachers reported being faced with misogynistic responses from pupils after trying to address concerns over their behaviours, with some reporting that they are ignored by male pupils due to being female.
Of the 5,087 teachers who took part in the survey across the UK, more than one in five said they have been subject to sexist, racist or homophobic language from a pupil in the past year.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Professor Lee Elliot Major said teachers are acting as "de facto parents" in the classroom, explaining that a lot of "societal challenges" come out in this setting.
Major, a professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, added: "The reality is that a teacher these days is a counsellor, a social worker, a poverty alleviator and a guardian of respectful values."
"Teachers are incredibly stretched because you need training for this sort of challenge. I think the balancing act that teachers now face is more challenging than it's ever been before."
Wrack said teachers need professional training to help them "identify, challenge, and safely de-escalate behaviour rooted in online radicalisation, sexism, and hate."
The union is calling for a ban on social media for under-16s and a ban on phones in schools.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said misogynistic views are "learned" and the government is "committed to using every possible tool to achieve our mission of halving violence against women and girls".
The statement added that the department has updated guidance, is providing teachers with resources to recognise the signs of incel ideologies and is strengthening guidance for mobile phones in schools.
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