New research from Ipsos and King's College London has identified a troubling trend: younger men in the UK are increasingly rejecting the principles of gender equality, with attitudes diverging sharply from those of their female peers. The findings, which have attracted significant media attention, point to a growing cultural fault line — one that has direct implications for domestic abuse, relationship breakdown, and the health of communities. Restored, the Christian charity working to end violence against women, published a response on 12 March 2026 arguing that the Church has a unique and largely untapped opportunity to address this trend.

The Ipsos research paints a concerning picture. Among men aged 16-29, support for gender equality has declined measurably, with a significant minority expressing views that would have been considered mainstream decades ago but are now at odds with the legal and social frameworks of contemporary Britain. Researchers have linked this shift to the influence of online content — particularly the manosphere and figures like Andrew Tate — which presents a vision of masculinity rooted in dominance, control, and the subordination of women.

Restored's analysis is both honest and hopeful. The organisation acknowledges that the Church has not always modelled healthy gender relations — that patriarchal structures and the misuse of biblical texts have sometimes contributed to the very attitudes it now seeks to challenge. But it argues that the Church, at its best, offers something that secular culture cannot: a vision of masculinity and femininity rooted in the image of God, the example of Christ, and the call to mutual service and sacrificial love.

The practical implications are significant. Churches that take seriously the formation of young men — through discipleship, mentoring, and honest conversations about power, relationships, and identity — are doing preventative work against domestic abuse. Every young man who learns to see women as equal image-bearers of God, and who is equipped to challenge the toxic narratives he encounters online, is a step toward a safer community. Restored provides resources and training to help churches engage with this work, and their analysis of the current cultural moment makes a compelling case for why it matters.