Number of violent crimes against women and girls soar as boys increasingly targeted by harmful social media

Nearly a quarter-of-a-million attacks on teenage girls were recorded last year as boys are increasingly being targeted by harmful online social media influencers, a new report reveals.

Artificial intelligence is accelerating violence against young women and girls (VAWG) with technology being used as a "tool for coercion" and a "medium for abuse", police chiefs have warned. In total 1.36 million violent crimes against women and girls were reported in the 12 months up to March last year, with 231,000 (17%) relating to teenage relationship abuse.

Almost a quarter of abusers (24%) were serial offenders who had committed at least three previous attacks, the research reveals. The true scale of the problem is believed to be much bigger with approximately 80% of crimes not being reported to the police.

The first national Strategic Threat Risk Assessment (STRA) today provides the most comprehensive picture to date of the threats facing women and girls across England and Wales. DAC Helen Millichap, said: "The assessment overall shows these threats are significant, complex and developing. We are saying today that violence against women and girls remains a national emergency."

Farah Nazeer, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, said: “I am devastated, yet not surprised, to see that domestic abuse is the most significant and enduring threat – it is a crime where harm often escalates, sometimes fatally, and where the likelihood of reoffending is extremely high. "The assessment highlights the need for a whole-system approach – something that we have also been calling for – and is necessary to ensure women and children are safe.”

Police have previously warned that online influencers like Andrew Tate are radicalising boys into hating women. Mr Tate is a self-proclaimed "misogynist" who rose to fame after appearing on Big Brother in 2016. He is currently awaiting trial in Romania over allegations of rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women - charges he denies.

Schools are reporting "growing concerns" that "significant numbers of girls are avoiding education due to sexual harassment," the report states. Where suspects were aged between 10 and 18, 10% of offences (2,989) happened in schools and colleges, the research reveals.

In total, two-and-a-half crimes against women and girls are being reported every second on average. In 2024 the NPCC said the number of violent incidents against women and girls hqe rocketed by 37% in four years.

Published by the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection (NCVPP), the assessment reveals that among 15-19-year-olds, harmful behaviour can be linked to online influences and social media algorithms.