'The algorithm is radicalising young men', says expert

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese would not be drawn on whether "targeting women should be considered a terrorism offence", after investigators ruled that the attack was not related to terrorism.

"Violence against women is far too prevalent," he told reporters in Melbourne on Friday, acknowledging that last Saturday's Bondi Junction attack "has had a devastating impact".

But advocates and researchers have pointed out that men's rights influencers that promote hatred of women use ideology to radicalise boys and men, putting lives at risk.

Dr Stephanie Wescott at Monash University, who researches how so-called manfluencers radicalise boys and young men online, said: "Misogyny is an ideology."

She said boys and young men were increasingly being exposed to "manosphere" content online, delivered whether or not they actually followed such influencers.

Sandra Rajic, who has spent six years working as a counsellor at EveryMan's Canberra violence prevention service, said many perpetrators she spoke with had absorbed these messages.

"You can hear they're repeating the lines that they had heard from Instagram videos by [influencers] like Andrew Tate," she told The Canberra Times.

EveryMan will join community groups including the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre at a rally hosted by violence prevention group What Were You Wearing at Garema Place on Sunday, April 28.

Similar rallies will be held in capital cities across Australia on the same day, demanding politicians "act before more lives are lost".

Dr Wescott noted the definition of terrorism given by Australia's top intelligence official Mike Burgess, director-general of security at the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.

"To call it a terrorist act you need indications of, well, information or evidence that suggest actually the motivation was religiously motivated or ideologically motivated," he told reporters on Monday.

Dr Wescott said misogynistic messaging, just like that of religious extremists, followed "a very coherent set of talking points [claiming] power has been taken away from men and needs to be reclaimed."

"It's presented to them just by virtue of their gender, or their sex and their age," she said.

"The algorithm is radicalising young men."

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus was asked on Friday if investigators should look at whether the Bondi Junction attacker, who police believe may have targeted women, was influenced by "incel" [involuntary celibacy] ideology".

"I don't think it's appropriate for me to comment, let alone speculate, at this time," Mr Dreyfus told ABC radio, noting that a coronial inquest would investigate the attack.

"We've seen too many instances of violence against women," he said ahead of a speech at a violence prevention event in Melbourne.

Tarang Chawla, whose sister Nikita was stabbed to death in 2015 and who is Commissioner at the Victorian Multicultural Commission, said a better understanding was needed of the harm caused by "incel" ideologies.

Mr Chawla said our society is "quick to label acts motivated by religious extremism as terrorism".

"Yet, in a climate where men are using violence in public and private settings motivated by a deep-seated hatred of women, it's a difficult conversation that our policymakers need to consider."

"We certainly need greater education to address the harms caused by such content, more close regulation of such content, but also acknowledging that online is the best way to reach young people," Mr Chawla said.

He said young men need alternatives to influencers like Andrew Tate, healthy role models "who represent a masculinity that is better for all of society".

READ MORE:

Mr Dreyfus told reporters on Friday: "There is a crisis of male violence in Australia. It's a scourge on our society and it must end. We have to do more."

Tess Fuller, a spokesperson for Teach Us Consent, founded by Chanel Contos, said the organisation was "deeply concerned" about the ideologies spread by people like Andrew Tate.

"Over a third of Australian teenage boys say they look up to him - but we need to properly interrogate why," she said.

"Young boys we speak to say he offers them clear and regimented 'rule books' that they really connect to, with messaging about motivation, discipline and drive. There's clearly a serious absence of present, positive role models to help develop boys into good men".