Could a male curfew solve rising violence against women cases in the UK?
Finding a solution to a threat now deemed on the same scale as terrorism
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most prevalent issues now facing the UK Government in 2025. This comes after the National Police Chiefs Council released a 2024 report stating, “violence against women and girls was now a threat to society on the same scale as terrorism”. Statistics show that there has been a 37% increase of VAWG related crimes from 2018 to 2023, caused by extensive amounts of extreme misogynistic content available online. Lack of police training for domestic based offences, as well as poor education on misogyny within schools is culminating into a dystopian world of fear where 1 in 12 women will still be a victim of VAWG annually if social change is not implemented.
In 2024 Paramount Plus released their TV adaptation of the 2022 book Curfew by Jayne Cowie. This dystopian thriller imagines a world where men have been electronically tagged and kept under a strict curfew in order to protect women and girls. This alternate future is an extreme solution to an extreme problem, one that may violate a human right, to protect human lives. However, with the continuous increase of violence against women and girls, is it time to consider men under curfew?
When speaking to Dr Paige Bromley, lecturer at Oxford Brookes University and expert on gender-based violence. She argued that (a curfew) “might lead to less things, like cat calling or extreme harassment. So, in the short term, it could have some positive impacts, but my concern would be that it might breed resentment among men in general”. A curfew may help women feel safer going out late at night, although by helping protect women in these instances, it isolates victims of domestic abuse. “The majority of risk to women is from inside the home, and that happens at any time”. Dr Bromley explains incidents with strangers “don't make up, the bulk of the risk to women. We are mostly at risk from people that we live with”. According to the Office of National Statistics 44% of women were victimised by a partner and 37% from someone they knew. Resentment amongst curfewed perpetrators may lead to an increase of domestic violence, as previously reflected in the 9% increase during the Covid-19 pandemic quarantine.
When speaking to a leading digital officer for the UK Cabinet on the concept of ‘the curfew’ they argued strongly against. Believing it “risks penalising those who make a positive impact on society”. By grouping all men as possible perpetrators it polarises male support for women’s rights and evidently causes more animosity. So, if a curfew will create more harm than good, what is the solution?
According to OFCOM in 2023 children from ages 3-17 accessed the internet via mobile devices. This regular access has created an environment of severe content encouraging misogynistic rhetoric among young men. Figureheads like Andrew Tate dominate TikTok and X feeds, making violent statements about women. In one video Tate commented, if a woman accused him of cheating “It’s bang out the machete…and grip her by the neck. Shut up bi**h”. Promoting this abusive treatment alongside Tate’s idealistic lifestyle convinces young men in order to be successful, and drive nice cars, they also have to approach women in the same way.
Dr Bromley believes one of the foundations of solving the VAWG crisis is social change through school education. It’s vital to “have a critical engagement with what (boys) just watched, just because Andrew Tate is telling you this thing, that doesn't mean you need to believe it”. By separating truth from fiction and taking boys out of the world of Andrew Tate, they are able to reflect and “have a conversation about how you feel and why you feel drawn to that type of media”. By making violence against women and girls socially unacceptable, and educating young people on misogynistic mindsets, it could help reduce development of negative attitudes towards women later on in life.
Social media regulation isn’t an apt solution, as explained by the UK Cabinet's leading digital officer “unfortunately regulation of content won't work because of the global nature of these platforms, and permissive regimes such as the US”. Instead, one of their solutions was to introduce a legal mandate on “strong identity proofing for all users of social media, forums and similar platforms in the UK”. This gives police the ability to track specific users spreading misogynistic hate speech and videos online. By regulating their social media usage, helping tackle the constant spread of extremism, without introducing a curfew.
The Metropolitan Police (MET) have responded to the 7.4% increase of sexual offences in London, through their V100 programme. This approach relies on data-based arrests to target “men who pose the highest risk to women”. They use a points based system to calculate the most harmful offenders each month, which the Met will go on to arrest. Although V100 has seen successful results with 126 people charged, the Met cannot stop misogynistic mindsets.
Domestic abuse training is underfunded in both policing and medical sectors. Dr Bromley explains “(police) understand what domestic abuse looks like, but a lot of the time, things that perpetrators will do will be nonphysical”. When responding to physical incidents police often miss vital signs of emotional domestic abuse happening to victims. Better training will prepare officers to spot nuances within abusive dynamics. Within the medical sector a former emergency care physician, recommends “a dedicated domestic violence professional team to create an appropriate environment, allowing adequate time and support”. This helps victims avoid chaotic A&E environments, with intimate support.
The ex-Director of the Royal College of Nursing believes no sector is alone in solving this crisis. “All (public health) services need to have a commitment and a joined up national plan on this issue”. Instead of a male curfew, education and social training are the key to reducing VAWG in the UK.