Technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) is a threat to learners across the globe, with schools now at the center to provide preventive measurement and response to the case. This was the message from a webinar convened on Thursday, 20 May 2026 organized by SEAMEO and UNICEF’s Global Education in Practice in Bangkok, under the Outcome 3 Empowered and Equal Futures for Girls Programme.

The session was led by experts from UNESCO HQ and UNFPA Asia Pacific Regional Office unpack evidence and practical responses for the education sector in addressing this problem.

Mr. Silvain Seguy, from UNESCO HQ opened the session with an overview of global trends, highlighting that cyberbullying among 11–15-year-olds has risen to 15% across 44 countries, with girls reporting even higher rates at 16%. This is the escalation of offline violence that also remains widespread with 1 in 5 students in OECD countries reporting bullying at school at least a few times a month.

He added that while 2.6 billion people still lack internet connectivity, those who come online without safeguards face heightened exposure to harm. At the same time, generative AI has dramatically lowered the threshold for producing abusive content, with more young people becoming abusers to their peers.

In the Asia-Pacific region, the situation is equally concerning where bullying prevalence ranges from 7% to over 50%, and the Pacific records one of the highest rates globally. The Republic of Korea reported 920 school-based victims of AI-generated non-consensual intimate imagery in just 11 months of 2024, with 74% of suspects aged 10–19.

UNFPA’s Sujata Tuladhar highlighted that while technology accelerates harm, the underlying drivers remain rooted in gender inequality.

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable as they navigate identity, relationships, and belonging in digital spaces. Sujata stressed that educators play a critical role as first responders.

Argentina’s national guide on TFGBV models the integration of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) to teacher training, equipping them with practical tools and survivor-centered approaches.

The course covers cyber harassment, stalking, non-consensual image sharing, grooming, extortion, and digital dating violence, while also addressing how gender norms are reproduced in digital culture. Through the course, educators gain practical tools: active listening, non-victim-blaming responses, differentiating peer conflict from adult crimes, and navigating reporting and referral pathways.

Both agencies underscored that effective prevention requires whole-school and whole-system action. UNESCO’s Connect with Respect curriculum, evaluated across six countries, showed strong results: knowledge of where to seek help rose from 44% to 65%, and intention to seek help increased from 73% to 82%.