The Australian royal commission investigating antisemitism has heard testimony highlighting a troubling link between teenage misogyny and extremist violence in the country. Senior University of Melbourne lecturer Sara Meger told the inquiry on Thursday that rising rates of violence against women among young people are closely tied to the growing appeal of both far-left and far-right extremist ideologies.

Dr. Meger’s research indicates that members of Generation Z, particularly young males, are more likely than previous generations to hold extremist views. These attitudes have been manifesting in Australian schools, where about one in four teachers surveyed reported encounters with forms of extremism or student violence.

Educators across the country described an increase in extremist behavior, with a notable pattern of hostility directed toward female teachers. Dr. Meger said teachers have observed students expressing deeply misogynistic views, often influenced by online "manosphere" figures such as Andrew Tate. Alongside this, students demonstrated racist views and at times appeared to endorse overseas political violence.

Several incidents cited during testimony included swastikas painted on school walls, teenage boys making jokes about rape, expressions of support for Adolf Hitler’s ideology, and a Muslim student suggesting Jewish people should be targeted by terrorists. Dr. Meger explained that such manifestations reflect an overlap between misogynistic attitudes and broader racist or white supremacist beliefs, complicating efforts to address extremist behavior in schools.

Data presented at the commission showed that over two-thirds of cases managed by the federal Home Affairs Department’s countering violent extremism program involve males aged 10 to 24. This demographic is significantly overrepresented in government efforts to combat extremist threats, a trend Dr. Meger said is supported by sociological research indicating that young people tend to hold more polarized political views.

According to Dr. Meger, hostile attitudes toward women and racial minorities are among the strongest predictors of support for extremist violence. She emphasized that approval of violence against women, combined with broader gender hostility, forms a key constellation of beliefs linked to support for violent extremism.

The royal commission is continuing its examination of the underlying factors driving antisemitism and extremism in Australia during its eighth hearing block, focusing on expert insights from security and extremism specialists.