The Dark Influence ofthe "Manosphere": Misogyny, Manipulation and Violence

A growing, misogynistic “manosphere” of online forums and influencers, from Andrew Tate to Bulgarian imitators, promotes manipulation, abuse and even violence against women, spreading illegal content and fueling real-world attacks while drawing mounting public and legal backlash.

The online environment infamously called “manosphere” influences young adults and promotes violence against women. This article is a call for increased protection and education.

The murder of an 18 year old girl Magdalena Ruseva killed by her male classmate has sparked a new wave of country-wide discussions. As this is one of many femicides which occurred this year the questions posed is no longer who is responsible but rather is this a pattern and does it reflect the way young men view women.

The phenomenon of the “manosphere” or “incel culture” which has been started by several influencers online, promotes manipulation, abuse and violence against women and depicts it as natural way to treat a woman if you wish to keep her. Those messages are spread through different forums and channels that teach how men can attract women. The main idea that is circulating is that they reject feminism and promote misogyny and also that women’s rights movements have led to a decline in society from which men are suffering.

The “influencer” Andrew Tate is very well known in these communities. He rose to prominence with videos in which he teaches men how to attract women, make them dependent, and abuse them. Tate and his brother Tristan were arrested in Romania in 2022 on charges of human trafficking. Both face charges of rape and human trafficking in the United Kingdom as well. In February 2025, they left Romania.

The content of those forums ranges from videoclips showing sexual exploitation of undersage girls, to ted talks, and articles sometimes openly calling for violence “as the only way to tame a woman”. Over the past 10 years there have been cases in the U.S., Canada and countries in Western Europe where violence against women and in some cases murders have been linked to those incel communities. After this recent case in Bulgaria the conversation about how those forums affect young men and if this poses a danger to women in Bulgaria has started.

In Bulgaria, there are also channels where similar terms and ideas appear.

For example, the “influencer” Zornitsa Gyutsova uses her social media to say things like “women love men who beat them,” “a slap is a form of control that works,” and that rape is “part of men’s sexual strategy to reproduce.” She also says, “Feminism and liberalism are a war against any expression of masculinity,” and that feminists are “deluded” women.

After the murder of 18-year-old Magdalena from Haskovo, social media posts raised the question of whether the motive of the accused 17-year-old Ivan Kostov might be linked to the ideas spread in these types of groups.

When does supporting such ideas in a country which historically has dealt with an increased number of domestic violence and femicide become criminal? Infamously the law in Bulgaria is also vague on the topic and has not been on the side of the victim in such cases. The most famous cases include men shaving women’s heads after the abuse to force her to stay home and hide and is considered a humiliation ritual. The more dangerous part is that education is lacking, and such ideas are promoted online but reinforced in their own families.

So with the law against you as well as your own community how are those women expected to survive? There are several ideas about reaching out to those communities and negotiating with them to find a different outlet for their anger. However, the change needs to come from within. Children need to be educated on the topic of violence, they need to understand that women’s rights movement are not diminishing the power of men, that they are calling for equality and protection. Such ideas are currently missing from the school programs and are definitely not talked about at home.

It’s time to break the silence, confront misogyny and empower the next generation, with education, empathy and the courage to stand up.