Recent conversations around online culture and its impact on young people have been brought sharply into focus by the documentary series Inside the Manosphere, presented by Louis Theroux, released on Netflix. The series explores the growth of online communities promoting extreme views about masculinity, often referred to collectively as the “manosphere”. These digital spaces can promote narratives that encourage misogyny, hostility toward women, and rigid ideas about gender roles. Experts have increasingly warned that such content can influence vulnerable individuals and impact mental health, relationships and social attitudes. For organisations working in education and skills training, understanding these trends is vital in order to support learners effectively.
Jenny Holloway, CEO of Fashion-Enter Ltd, explains: “Having just updated our education team with Prevent Officer Tishya Desai from Haringey, this new documentary on Manosphere really contextualises why we have to bring such topics into education.
“We don’t tick-box our learning. We aim to provide a complete up-to-date education that equips our learners for work and life.”
At the heart of the FTA’s approach are three core principles:
Achieve – supporting learners to succeed both academically and personally.
Belong – ensuring every learner feels valued as part of the FEL and FashionCapital community. With roots dating back to 2001, the network supporting students and graduates continues to grow.
Thrive – recognising that every learner is unique, with different talents and aspirations. As both an employer and an academy, the organisation is committed to helping each individual flourish and reach their full potential.
Safeguarding Through Prevent Training
In early March 2026, tutors and team members from Fashion-Enter Ltd and the Fashion Technology Academy across the Haringey, Islington and Leicester campuses took part in an important online safeguarding session led by Prevent Education Officer Tishya Desai from Haringey Council. The training focused on the UK’s Prevent duty, which forms part of the national counter-terrorism strategy known as CONTEST. Prevent aims to safeguard individuals who may be vulnerable to radicalisation and to support early intervention before risks escalate. For organisations working with learners, apprentices and employees, such training is a critical part of maintaining safe and inclusive environments.
A Shared Responsibility for Safeguarding
At Fashion-Enter Ltd and the Fashion Technology Academy, the welfare of students, apprentices and staff is a central priority. With hundreds of learners engaging in education and skills training each year, the organisation recognises its responsibility to remain vigilant and informed about safeguarding risks.
Prevent duty training is mandatory for frontline staff in sectors including education, healthcare and local government. It equips professionals with the knowledge to identify early warning signs of vulnerability and respond appropriately. Importantly, Prevent sits alongside other safeguarding responsibilities, including protecting individuals from risks such as exploitation, substance abuse, gang involvement or abuse. During the session, participants explored broader trends shaping the safeguarding landscape across the UK. One of the most significant developments is the growing role of online spaces in radicalisation and harmful influence. Digital platforms can allow misinformation, conspiracy theories and extremist narratives to circulate rapidly, often targeting younger audiences.
Recent data highlighted during the training shows:
- 8,778 Prevent referrals were recorded between March 2024 and March 2025 — the highest since records began in 2015.
- A rise in cases involving individuals under 18, reflecting the vulnerability of young people to online influence.
- Increasing radicalisation through online forums and closed digital communities.
- A shift toward mixed or hybrid ideologies, rather than affiliation with a single extremist organisation.
The session also explored how current global events and geopolitical tensions can shape online narratives, sometimes being exploited by groups seeking to promote division or hostility. The growth of online subcultures, including those explored in Inside the Manosphere, highlights how digital ecosystems can amplify extreme viewpoints and reinforce polarised thinking. A key focus of the training was helping staff identify behaviours that may indicate someone is becoming vulnerable to extremist narratives or harmful ideologies. Staff were reminded that a single indicator does not necessarily mean someone is being radicalised. The emphasis is on recognising patterns, maintaining open dialogue, and seeking guidance where concerns arise.
Prevent training encourages a simple three-step approach:
Notice – Be aware of behavioural changes or concerning signs.
Check – Seek guidance from safeguarding leads.
Share – Report concerns so that appropriate support can be offered.
This collaborative process ensures safeguarding concerns are managed responsibly and consistently.
Early Support Through Prevent
An important message throughout the session was that Prevent is pre-criminal, voluntary and focused on safeguarding. Where concerns arise, individuals may be referred to the Channel programme, which can provide mentoring, educational support, mental health services or other forms of intervention designed to help individuals move away from harmful influences. The aim is always support rather than punishment.
For organisations such as Fashion-Enter Ltd and the Fashion Technology Academy, ongoing safeguarding training is essential to maintaining safe learning environments. By staying informed about emerging risks, including the influence of online subcultures and digital narratives, staff can better support learners not only academically and professionally, but also in terms of mental wellbeing, resilience and critical thinking. Promoting respectful dialogue, digital literacy and awareness of online influence plays a vital role in preparing young people to navigate today’s complex information landscape. Safeguarding is constantly evolving as technology, online communities and global events reshape the way ideas spread.
By engaging with Prevent training and working closely with partners such as Haringey Council, Fashion-Enter Ltd and the Fashion Technology Academy reaffirm their commitment to protecting their learning communities. Maintaining awareness, encouraging open conversations and ensuring early support remains available are essential steps in building safe, inclusive and resilient educational environments for all learners.