North Tyneside parents can train for free on 4 and 11 December to challenge sexism and misogyny safely. The course is at Victory House on Benton Lane, NE12.
Parents and carers in Whitley Bay and across North Tyneside are being asked to sign up for a free course on how to challenge sexism and misogyny safely, with the next one running on Friday 4 and Friday 11 December at Victory House on Benton Lane, NE12.
Northumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth, made the call after a national survey found almost one in three parents had noticed misogynistic behaviour among children at their child’s school. Her message to adults is to lead by example.
The figures come from a YouGov survey of 900 UK parents, published in October 2025. It found 31% had noticed misogynistic attitudes or behaviours among children at their child’s school, 17% among their child’s friends and just 7% in their own child. They are national numbers: the commissioner’s office has not given a figure for North Tyneside or Northumbria.
What the commissioner says
Ms Dungworth has made women’s safety in public places a flagship commitment in her refreshed Police and Crime Plan.
“We all have a role to play in tackling violence against women and girls, and as parents that starts with the example we set,” she said.
“We all need to be prepared to challenge harmful behaviours when we see them, whether that is a sexist comment, a misogynistic joke or someone being made to feel unsafe.
“Not everyone feels confident about how to intervene, or knows what to say in the moment, I get that. This training gives people practical tools to assess a situation, respond safely and support someone who may be experiencing harassment.
“By challenging behaviour rather than brushing it off as banter shows children that sexism and misogyny aren’t acceptable. I would encourage parents, sports coaches, anyone around kids, to sign up.
“In the UK, 71% of women have experienced sexual harassment in a public space. It doesn’t have to be this way. When we see or hear sexual harassment and do nothing, we empower the harasser. My message is we can all do something, this training will teach you how.”
What happens on the course
The training covers the different forms of violence against women and girls, the attitudes and myths that can feed harmful behaviour, and why people sometimes hesitate when they see something wrong.
Through group discussions and practical scenarios, people learn how to assess a situation, choose a response and step in safely. That might mean challenging a sexist comment, distracting someone to defuse a situation, checking on the person being targeted or calling on others for help.
It also deals with how to talk to friends, family and colleagues about sexism and misogyny. The commissioner’s office stresses that intervening does not have to mean confrontation: a few calm words or a simple offer of support can make a difference.
A slide in the photographs the office sent us describes role-plays as “a really powerful way of learning how to be a confident bystander”, and says nobody should feel they have to take part in a scenario that could be upsetting. People who need to leave a session are asked to get in touch so they can be offered support.
The office’s course page says the training was designed for it by leading experts in the field, and that it is free thanks to the commissioner, her Violence Reduction Unit and Safer Streets funding. The slides credit Kindling Transformative Interventions and the University of Exeter, used under licence to the commissioner’s office.
What people who have done it said
The office supplied these comments from earlier participants, without names.
“It was challenging having to acknowledge, as a man, that a lot of men behave in these ways,” said one.
Another said: “Education is so important. Safety considerations as a woman haven’t reduced with time, they appear to have increased. The training reinforced the damage words can do; something that someone perceives to be relatively low level can cause devastating effects.”
A third said: “It taught me how to address somebody with harmful views, that arguing with somebody about their views doesn’t help them change it. It also showed the police are taking this seriously.”
And a fourth: “I didn’t know what the training would involve or if it would be of any benefit. I have learned how damaging misogynistic attitudes can be if left unchallenged, and frightening how media, advertising and social media perpetuate the problem. I feel more empowered and motivated to do more if I encounter this behaviour in future.”
What it means for you
If you live, work or study in Northumberland or Tyne and Wear and are 18 or over, you can go, which takes in everyone of that age in Whitley Bay, Tynemouth, North Shields and Wallsend. It is not only for parents: the commissioner also names sports coaches and “anyone around kids”.
- When: Friday 4 December and Friday 11 December 2026, 9.30am to 1pm both days. You must be able to attend both.
- Where: Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Victory House, Balliol Business Park, Benton Lane, Newcastle, NE12 8EW.
- Cost: free.
- How to sign up: email enquiries@northumbria-pcc.gov.uk to register your interest. More is on the course page.
December’s course is the last of the four dates the page lists for 2026, and no 2027 dates are shown yet.
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