Braden Peters, also known as Clavicular, was charged with rape, drugging a person for sexual intercourse and procuring alcohol for a minor. Over the past year, Peters took the internet by storm with his controversial dedication to “looksmaxxing.”
Peters is one of the many male influencers who made a name for himself by endorsing toxic masculinity with a focus on a person’s physical appearance. These male influencers are perpetuating misogynistic ideologies that harmed and will continue to harm women and girls.
The term looksmaxxingexisted for years but recently saw a spike in usage on TikTok. The term comes from a dark corner of the internet known as the “manosphere,” a web of websites, forums and online spaces centered around men and their problems but oftentimes promotes misogynistic and violent ideology against women and girls.
The manosphere is inherently problematic considering it heavily relies on men and boys consuming harmful content about women, but in recent years there was a surge in boys consuming this content.
According to a 2025 Common Sense Media survey, 73% of boys regularly encounter content related to masculinity and 23% experience high levels of exposure. The survey also found 69% of boys regularly see content relating to harmful gender stereotypes. Another studyfound 60% of “young men” in the United States engage with one or more influencers whose content centers around masculinity.
The content causes the consumer to heavily rely on stereotypes of masculinity, attractiveness and sexual experiences to gauge their self-worth. Commonly, the expectations are set extraordinarily high and unreachable. Not only is it damaging to the mental health of men, but it breeds dangerous environments for women and girls. It is becoming increasingly difficult for women to find safe spaces, as so many men and boys are engaging with this material.
This topic is especially relevant on college campuses as they are historically hot spots for sexual assault. Studies show one in four college-aged women will experience sexual assault after enrolling in school.
There are a few factors that impact the increasingly wide scope of collegiate sexual assault, such as high rates of alcohol consumption, new environments and peer pressure. Despite those explanations, the one key factor is men, as 99% of sexual assaults are committed by men. Men and boys consuming content from the manosphere can only make the already devastating issue worse.
Peters is not the first influencer among the manosphere to be charged with a sex crime. His brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate are currently being held in a Miami detention center, fighting extradition to the United Kingdom, where they were accused of rape and sex trafficking. The brothers have also been accused of sex crimes spanning multiple countries, all of which they have denied.
The two men claimed their online personas are only characters and do not reflect their true personalities. Andrew Tate has over ten million followers on X and described himself as a misogynist. The Tate brothers are on the more extreme side of the manosphere, known for outwardly promoting violence against women.
Tate said, "I'm a realist, and when you're a realist, you're sexist. There's no way you can be rooted in reality and not be sexist.” This quote is only a small dose of the disgusting ideologies Tate spews on social media.
Peters and the Tate brothers are only two examples of the content creators that boys are watching on social media. This internet content began to show effects in the classrooms of primary and secondary schools with teachers reportingcases in which male students engaged in discriminatory behaviors toward female students and staff.
As social media and technology continue to advance, it is time for society to catch up. Primary and secondary schools should teach children and young adults the consequences of engaging with harmful content. Not only is it important to nourish the mental health of boys, but we have to protect the girls and women who will inevitably endure the discrimination and violence manosphere influencers promote.
Organizations such as UN Women and Safe + Sound are fighting to end violence against women, and both have resources on how to combat the manosphere. If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual violence, help is available. RAINNfree confidential support you can call or text. Ohio University has a Survivor Advocacy Program that provides confidential support to survivors of sexual assault, harassment, stalking and domestic violence. You can book an appointment or view resources on its website.
Amelia Henson is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Amelia Henson about their column? Email them at ah300721@ohio.edu
