CHILDREN are displaying “frightening” levels of misogyny, with one in six teachers being verbally abused by a pupil in the last year, a major survey has found.

More than half of 10,578 teachers polled by the National Education Union (NEU) said social media content is influencing racist (52 per cent) and misogynistic behaviour (56 per cent) in their schools.

“The misogyny we are seeing from some boys is frightening. It is clearly influenced by what they are watching online,” one told the survey.

More than seven in 10 said that social media had led to a loss of pupils’ concentration. Two thirds believed it is causing both mental ill-health and sleep deprivation.

“There is a clear link between heavy social media use and declining attention spans in lessons,” said a teacher. 

Another respondent added: “Children are exhausted because they are online until the early hours. They cannot concentrate and behaviour deteriorates.”

It comes as the government is considering measures to protect children under 16 online, which could include an Australia-style social media ban or measures like time limits and curfews.

Almost all (98 per cent) teachers said they would support stricter regulation of tech companies to protect children from addictive algorithms.

NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said these impacts are “deeply concerning” and ministers must not delay action to rein in tech companies.

He said: “Addictive social media algorithms are feeding our children harmful content on a daily basis.

“That content is having clear negative effects — with educators reporting racist and misogynistic behaviour by young people, influenced by what they have seen online

“This is not a problem that schools or parents on their own can fix.

“The vast majority of teachers and support staff back stricter regulation of tech firms to protect young people. That is why we are calling for the government to raise the age of social media access from 13 to 16.”

Three in five teachers said that social media use has caused changes in peer relationships and increased bullying or harassment among their students.

Teachers described how social media fuels non-stop bullying, with overnight online chats often exploding in school the next morning.

One responding to the survey said their school was dealing with increasing incidents of children sharing explicit images and then being blackmailed.