OCO Survey on Extremism, Discrminiation and Gender Roles

Discrimination, extremism and ‘traditional’ gender roles all on the radar for young people in new survey from the OCO  

• 25% say their friends have views that some people would consider extreme
• 64% of students associate extremist views with boys and men
• 63% hear more extreme views online than in person
• 69% agree discrimination is a major issue in Ireland
• 84% hear negative comments about immigration or housing
• 61% hear views that society should revert to ‘traditional’ gender role

A new survey from the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) on Emerging Social Issues in Modern Ireland shines a light for the first time on the impact on children of a rise in extremism, discrimination and shifting attitudes toward gender roles. 626 students in 28 secondary schools across the country took part in the online survey, which revealed that 63% of young people come across extremist views online, compared to just 6% in real life.

The Ombudsman for Children’s Office undertook this survey following reports, through our work, that children were encountering what they felt was extremism, in their everyday lives. This survey shows that discussions about extremism in wider society are permeating through to our young people. It also shows that some key issues such as immigration and gender norms are coming up for young people and having an impact on them. 84% say they hear negative comments about immigration or housing. While 61% of students say they often hear comments that society should revert to ‘traditional’ gender roles and 51% have heard views that men are more entitled to more authority than women.

In light of the findings, the OCO is calling on Government to further explore the growth of extremist views among children and put in place a plan to tackle this problem from an early age. The Office also recommends that children’s rights have a special focus in regulatory work around AI given the clear link between the online world and extremism.

Commenting on the findings, the Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon said:

“Children are not immune from the world around them and as with most issues impacting society, our survey suggests children are also being impacted by the growing tide of extremist views in what they hear and see at home, among their friends and peers and predominantly, online.

“We should be encouraged by the fact that students in our survey have told us that parents and guardians are still the biggest influence in their life (50% say parents are their biggest influence). This is a responsibility that must be taken seriously to combat dangerous ideals and to teach children about how they should treat others

“However, the clear link between the online world and the prevalence of extremist views particularly for boys and young men, is concerning with 64% of students associating extreme views with this cohort. Strikingly 55% of students also feel that boys have more extreme views than girls, and 51% agree that boys are more targeted by these views online.

“This needs to be taken into account by Government, social media companies and us all when it comes to educating and protecting our young men, including around the sentiment of toxic masculinity, which we see through some of the comments around gender roles that are being heard by young people. It also needs to be considered in discussions around AI and how algorithms are targeting particular groups of people, in this case boys and young men.

“Our survey represents a snapshot in time of an issue, but one that we believe should start a real conversation in the classroom, at home and indeed, online, around topics. The Dublin riots last year and the more recent riots at an IPAS centre that housed families and children should serve as a reminder to us all that hatred and misinformation online can spill over quite easily into communities.

“As always, children have provided an extremely useful insight into these issues, pointing out that more education is needed and highlighting the responsibility of social media companies to ensure they are protected online. Our Office will use the findings of this survey to inform our own work and research on these issues and ensure they are reflected to policy makers.”

ENDS

Read the full report here OCO Survey on Extremism, Discrminiation and Gender Roles

• 3 December 2025
• Type: Press Release
• Topic: Disability, Education, Immigration, Online