The conversation sparked by Louis Theroux: The Dangerous Rise of the Manosphere has, quite rightly, put a spotlight on misogyny. But if the goal is to genuinely steer young men away from harmful online spaces, then focusing solely on misogyny is like trying to treat a fever without asking what infection is causing it. Misogyny is a shocking and painful symptom however to create meaningful change, we need to go deeper, into identity, belonging, influence, and the everyday moments where culture is either reinforced or challenged. This is where active bystandership in the form of the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) Programme, alongside initiatives like the “That Guy” campaign from Police Scotland, offers a more complete and practical route forward.
The Limits of Calling Out Misogyny Alone
It’s tempting to believe that if we simply call out misogyny loudly enough, clearly enough, and often enough, attitudes will shift. But the manosphere thrives not just on controversial ideas, but on unmet needs. Let’s face it, misogyny has been subject of numerous news articles as well as many educational programmes which on the face of it, and despite claims of success, appear to have made no significant difference.
Let’s be clear, many young men who end up consuming this content are not starting from a place of hatred. We need to get better at accepting that. If not, we apply a sort of ‘Golem Effect’ to any response. The idea that we simply have low expectations of our young men, a self-fulfilling prophecy, acting contrary to the ‘Pygmalion Effect’ where high expectations lead to better outcomes.
Young men are often navigating rejection, loneliness, confusion about their role in society, or a lack of direction. The manosphere offers something powerful: certainty, belonging, and a narrative that explains their struggles. If the response they encounter from wider society is primarily criticism, “this is wrong,” “this is toxic,” “this is unacceptable”, without offering an alternative path, then the original pull remains intact. In some cases, it even strengthens their attachment to those spaces.
A piece written by Jimmy Paul, the current head of the Scottish Violence Reduction isn’t helpful in its simple connection to incidences of Gender Based Violence and other issues impacting women in Scotland. Furthermore, comments made by the current Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar again follow this simplistic approach. Sarwar’s promise to set up a ‘Misogyny Reduction Unit’ fails to acknowledge the deeper issues that Theroux’s intelligent conversations with the male influencers truly exposed as well as the fragility of the manosphere itself. Both the responses from Paul and Sarwar miss the point totally.
Understanding the Social Environment
One of the most important lessons from the documentary is that these attitudes don’t develop in isolation. They are shaped by environments, both digital and physical. Online, algorithms steadily guide users toward more extreme content. Offline, silence and inaction allow problematic views to go unchallenged. This is where culture quietly forms: not just in what is said, but in what is not said.
If a young man hears a misogynistic comment among peers and nobody challenges it, the message is clear, this is acceptable here.
This is why solutions must move beyond top-down messaging and into everyday interactions.
Enter Active Bystandership
Active bystandership is built on a simple but powerful idea: we all have a role in shaping the culture around us. Not through grand gestures, but through small, timely interventions.
It shifts the question from “Why are these men thinking this way?”
to “What are we all doing, or not doing, that allows this thinking to grow?” In the context of the manosphere, this matters enormously. Harmful beliefs are often normalised in micro-moments:
- A joke that goes unchallenged
- A stereotype repeated without question
- A friend expressing frustration that gets validated in the wrong direction
Active bystandership creates opportunities to interrupt these moments early, before they harden into ideology.
The MVP Programme introduced in Scottish High Schools in 2009 ‘presented a real opportunity’ for these very issues to be addressed and young men supported. The evidence learned from the US enabled the programme to be fully embedded here in Scotland.
The Power of “That Guy”
The “That Guy” campaign from Police Scotland is another strong example of this approach in action. Rather than focusing solely on condemning extreme behaviours, it targets the everyday attitudes and behaviours that sit beneath them.
Its message is clear: don’t be the person who crosses the line, and don’t ignore it when someone else does. What makes the campaign effective is that it doesn’t alienate its audience. It speaks directly to men, not as the problem, but as part of the solution. It recognises that most men don’t see themselves as offenders but do exist in environments where harmful behaviour can occur. This framing is crucial. It invites responsibility without triggering defensiveness.
Shifting from Blame to Responsibility
One of the risks of focusing purely on misogyny is that it can feel like an accusation. For young men already feeling misunderstood or marginalised, this can reinforce disengagement.
Active bystandership and campaigns like “That Guy” take a different approach. They emphasise responsibility over blame.
They ask:
- What do you do when you hear something that doesn’t sit right?
- How do you support your mates to be better?
- Where is your line, and will you hold it?
This is a subtle but important shift. It moves from “you are the problem” to “you are part of the solution.”
Building Better Alternatives
If we want to reduce the influence of the manosphere, we must offer something better, not just something different.
Young men need:
- Spaces where they can talk openly without ridicule
- Role models who demonstrate strength alongside empathy
- Narratives of masculinity that include respect, accountability, and connection
Active bystandership contributes to this by helping create environments where these qualities are normalised. When someone challenges a harmful comment respectfully, they are not just stopping that moment, they are signalling what is acceptable. Over time, these signals shape group norms.
The Role of Peer Influence
One of the key insights from social science is that people are heavily influenced by those around them. This is particularly true for young men. The manosphere leverages this through online communities. But the same principle can be used positively in workplaces, schools, and social groups. Active bystandership turns peers into influencers of positive behaviour.
A quiet “that’s not okay”
A redirecting comment
A check-in with a friend
These actions may seem small, but they carry weight because they come from within the group, not from an external authority.
Early Intervention Matters
By the time misogynistic beliefs become deeply entrenched, they are much harder to shift. That’s why early intervention is critical.
Active bystandership allows for early course correction. It creates friction at the point where harmful ideas are still forming, rather than waiting until they are fully developed.
The “That Guy” campaign reinforces this by highlighting behaviours that might otherwise be dismissed as minor, but which can escalate if left unchecked.
A Collective Effort
Ultimately, addressing the issues raised in the documentary requires a collective response. Not just from policymakers or educators, but from peers, colleagues, and communities. Focusing solely on misogyny places the burden on correcting individuals. Broadening the approach to include active bystandership recognises that culture is co-created. Every interaction matters. Every silence communicates something. Every intervention has the potential to shift direction.
Moving Forward
If the goal is to help young men step away from harmful narratives, then the approach must be both firm and constructive. Challenge harmful beliefs, yes but also:
- Understand the needs driving them
- Create environments where better behaviours are expected
- Equip people with the confidence to step in
The real opportunity lies not just in calling out “that guy,” but in empowering everyone else to say something when it matters. Because culture doesn’t change through messages alone.
It changes through moments, and the people willing to act in them.
The Challenges
Despite programmes like MVP and the That Guy campaign many challenges remain. Why is that?
Both pieces of work are straying from the evidence that supports their use and now maintain a simple focus more on the behaviours of the few as opposed to the supporting of the many. A simple focus on education on misogyny may appear to be the right thing to do but it’s not. More is needed to support young men in their lives. The fragility of the manosphere is clear. Influencers require people to influence. When they are starved of their clicks the manosphere will collapse. In his documentary Theroux has demonstrated that simple questions when asked correctly work.
A much more productive conversation with young men is needed. A conversation that doesn’t ignore the misogyny but a conversation that engages and supports them in their lives. Such conversations will also benefit wider society.
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