Examining the Influence of Social Media’s Manosphere on Adolescent Males’ Perceptions of Women and Girls and to What Extent Can Public Concern Be Understood Through the Lens of Moral Panic
By Rosemarie McVeigh,
UWE Bristol (University of the West of England).
This dissertation examines the influence of social media influencer Andrew Tate and the wider manosphere on adolescent males’ perceptions of women and girls. It critically explores the extent to which public concern surrounding his prominence can be understood through the lens of moral panic. Growing awareness of Tate’s misogynistic online persona has generated widespread social anxiety, particularly within educational and safeguarding contexts, prompting debate about online harm, masculinity, and youth vulnerability.
Adopting a secondary mixed‑methods research design, the study synthesises quantitative data on adolescent social media use with qualitative analysis of existing academic literature, including discourse analysis, focus groups, interview‑based studies, and algorithmic research. A thematic analysis was undertaken to identify recurring patterns relating to misogyny, identity formation, peer dynamics, and platform influence, while moral panic theory was applied analytically within the discussion.
Findings indicate that while Andrew Tate’s visibility among adolescent boys is extensive, engagement with his content is selective and frequently ambivalent. Many boys express critical or negative views; however, a consistent minority of boys demonstrate alignment with elements of Tate’s narratives, particularly those associated with masculinity, work ethic, and success. Evidence suggests that misogynistic attitudes are increasingly normalised within adolescent peer cultures, reinforced through humour, influencer imitation, and algorithmic amplification. Educators and scholars collectively report observable behavioural impacts within school environments, indicating that online discourse has tangible offline consequences.
When situated within moral panic theory, the findings suggest that public concern displays certain panic‑like characteristics, particularly media amplification and institutional urgency, but does not constitute disproportionate reaction given evidence of harm. The research concludes that focusing solely on Tate, risks obscuring wider structural drivers, including platform design and adolescent vulnerability, and highlights the need for early educational intervention, critical digital literacy, and greater accountability for social media platforms.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21402317
By Olivia Taylor,
Leeds Beckett University.
This research analysed how psychological interventions and evidence can reduce wrongful convictions in violent crime cases, while focusing on eyewitness memory and methods of detecting deception. Wrongful convictions are a consistent problem throughout the criminal justice system, which often comes from unreliable eyewitness testimonies and investigative biases. Violent crimes often rely on witness accounts of events when physical evidence is limited, so investigators must understand how psychological factors influence these processes to reduce miscarriages of justice.
This study used the methodology of a literature review to combine psychological research on eyewitness memory, detecting deception, and wrongful convictions, which enabled the identification of patterns and links. Academic sources were obtained through Leeds Beckett library and Google Scholar, using specific search terms that were relevant to the topics throughout the project, which ensured they were reliable and relevant.
The findings highlighted that eyewitness memory is reconstructive and can be distorted from stress, weapon focus effects, and post-event influences and discussions. Detecting deception traditionally relied on behavioural cues and indicators of dishonesty, yet this was not always accurate. However, evidence-based approaches that applied psychological theory, such as cognitive interviews, content analysis, and expert testimonies, each improved the accuracy of eyewitness evidence and reduced investigative biases. This project also demonstrated that systemic issues, like interviewer bias and poor application and understanding of psychological evidence in court, contribute to wrongful convictions.
Overall, this research highlighted that psychological approaches could reduce wrongful convictions when they are accurately applied throughout criminal justice procedures. These findings demonstrated new links made between psychology and legal practices, emphasising the need for more standardised implementations of evidence-based psychological interventions in violent crime investigations, to reduce wrongful convictions..
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21396145
By Jess E Rose,
University of Lancashire.
Exploring the relationships between perceived parental style, emotional intelligence and attitudes towards criminal behaviour is important for understanding factors associated with improving interventions and preventing criminal actions. The current study examined whether perceived parental style (authoritarian, authoritative and permissive) and emotional intelligence jointly influenced adult criminal behaviour attitudes, whilst also controlling for age and gender. 102 participants completed questionnaires regarding the way in which they were parented, their emotional intelligence level (The Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test) and their attitudes surrounding offending. A multiple regression analysis was conducted examining the relationships between all variables. The overall regression was not significant; however, correlations were identified between criminal behaviour attitudes and both authoritarian and authoritative parental styles, as well as between age and offending attitudes. These findings suggest that relationships between these variables may be complex and influenced by individual differences and life experiences. Future research using longitudinal designs may provide greater insight into how these relationships develop over time.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21171183