Early intervention has been identified as being essential to addressing "harmful attitudes and sexual behaviours" in the schoolyard.
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Wodonga's Upper Murray Family Care chief executive Felicity Williams said violence continued to happen and "it doesn't discriminate".
"The moment is now we have to reverse this trajectory we are on towards a society where boys and men need to lash out and control girls and women through sexual abuse and harassment in order to feel like a man," she said.
Her comments come in the wake of 2023's Australian Child Maltreatment study that reveals more than 60 per cent of Australians have experienced at least one form of child maltreatment.
Ms Williams said that while physical abuse, neglect and witnessing family violence were now declining for young people, "the concern is the ongoing and increasing sexual and emotional abuse of young people - particularly girls".
"The critical issue to understand is that this is primarily peer-to-peer abuse," she said.
Ms Williams said local primary health data showed there was a "higher than average" level of bullying in schools.
"We believe primary contributing factors are mental illness and lack of appropriate intervention and support readily available locally," she said.
"At UMFC, we are observing that young people have not emerged from COVID well.
"Children and young people have missed several years of normal social development.
"We are seeing young people who are experiencing unprecedented difficulties with confidence, disconnection and anxiety.
"There is no doubt that our society is fragmenting and shifting under the burden of a number of crises, in cost of living, housing and mental health."
Ms Williams said the mental health burden on young people had risen by 50 per cent since 2007.
"As a result of that our communities and neighbourhoods are fragile," she said.
"There is a clear and present problem with relationships between boys and girls, and with and between young people who identify with LGBTIQA+."
'Girls ‘not treated with respect’ in schools'
She said that young boys, in particular, were influenced by "dangerous and negative social media influences," such as Andrew Tate.
"He is propagating warped tropes around how to be a man," she said.
"This includes instructing followers that they must dominate women and make money using them in order to be a man."
She said research showed the increasing misogyny being experienced by girls and female teachers in the education system.
"They are trying to understand the increasing incidence of boys feeling entitled and fearless in making derogatory comments and actions towards females that amount to disturbing sexual harassment and abuse," she said.
Ms Williams said it was important for families and parents to support and role model to our boys and men on how to act.
'Early intervention is important'
"Parents and local communities have the power to support protective factors to reduce this abuse," she said.
"Research indicates high trust and good communication with parents during adolescence reduces the risk of later emotional abuse victimisation by 39 per cent and sexual abuse victimisation by 77 per cent.
"Strong and resilient local communities are also critical.
"Supportive friendships throughout adolescence reduce the risk of later emotional abuse victimisation by 36 per cent.
"We need to actively support and encourage our boys to behave in ways that support respectful relationships with the girls and women in their lives."
She said it was a cycle that needed to be broken.
"It starts through investment in prevention and early intervention," she said.
