On 26 October 2026, UNESCO published a technical brief entitled Connected and safe: Policy orientations to address online and technology-facilitated violence in education. Written for ministries of education, it sets out what education systems can do across governance, safeguarding, staff support and curriculum so that every learner is safe online and offline.
UNESCO notes that around one in ten learners worldwide has experienced cyberbullying. The brief identifies risks linked to generative artificial intelligence, including sexually explicit deepfakes, image-manipulation tools, voice cloning and automated harassment, which can make existing forms of abuse easier to carry out and to scale.
The brief describes seven areas for action: planning, education quality and equity, safeguarding systems, staff capacity, curricula, education technology governance, and implementation and monitoring. It recommends building safeguards into decisions about buying and using education technology, while cautioning against excessive surveillance or blanket restrictions that could undermine learners’ rights. It also stresses that technology companies, platforms and regulators share responsibility for safer digital environments.
UNESCO will present the brief on 5 November 2026 at its Paris headquarters, at a Member State dialogue marking the International Day against Violence and Bullying at School including Cyberbullying.
The protection of children is central to a Catholic approach to AI, as discussed in Catholic AI and Human Dignity.
