Online Violence Against Children

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 places a strong emphasis on integrating digital technologies to improve educational access, equity, and quality while also highlighting the importance of safeguarding learner safety, wellbeing, and ethical participation in digital spaces. It acknowledges that as digital access grows, there is a corresponding need to safeguard children from emerging online dangers and encourage responsible use of the internet. The National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE 2023, Part B, Section 6.4) emphasizes the significance of digital literacy, digital citizenship, ethical awareness, and responsible technology use as critical competencies for students in line with this vision. It emphasises that children require structured guidance and support to navigate digital environments safely and responsibly, while integrating life skills, values, and socio-emotional learning within the context of digital engagement.

The digital landscape for children has evolved into a complex ecosystem where the boundaries between physical and virtual safety have effectively vanished. For educators, awareness of online violence is no longer a peripheral IT concern but a core component of modern safeguarding. As social interactions increasingly migrate to platforms driven by aggressive algorithms and generative AI, the forms of abuse have become more sophisticated. Teachers must now contend with AI-generated deepfakes used for peer humiliation, "gamified" grooming within educational and gaming apps, and the rapid-fire spread of viral cyberbullying that can traumatize a student before a school day even begins. Without a high level of awareness, these digital threats remain invisible to the adult eye, leaving students to navigate a high-stakes environment without a safety net.

Teachers serve as the critical "front line" because they are often the first to witness the behavioral fallout of digital trauma, such as sudden academic decline, social withdrawal, or heightened anxiety during device-based lessons. Unlike parents, who may only see a child’s behavior at home, teachers observe the social dynamics and peer pressures that fuel online aggression. By integrating digital citizenship into the curriculum, educators can shift from a reactive stance by simply putting out fire to a proactive one, teaching students how to develop emotional resilience and ethical digital habits. Furthermore, when teachers are well-versed in reporting protocols and the legal nuances of digital evidence, they bridge the "reporting gap," providing a trusted pathway for students who might otherwise suffer in silence for fear of losing their digital privileges.

Thus, the need for teacher awareness is driven by the severe consequences of inaction. Online violence is directly linked to a surge in youth mental health crises, including chronic depression and self-harm. In an era where a student's digital reputation can be weaponized in seconds, the school must be a sanctuary where technology is a tool for growth rather than a medium for harm. By committing to continuous professional development and fostering a culture of transparent communication, schools can ensure that teachers are not just instructors of subjects, but guardians of a child’s holistic well-being in an interconnected world.

In this context, CIET-NCERT in collaboration with UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, New Delhi is organising an online training on ‘Online Violence against Children’ to sensitise learners and educators to online risks and promote safe behaviour in the digital space. The programme aims to build awareness, strengthen preventive skills, and foster responsible and ethical digital engagement among learners.