Guernsey Schools Expand Digital Safety Lessons on Deepfakes, Grooming and Sextortion

Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of PA Media/BBC

 Schools in Guernsey are expanding digital safety lessons addressing online sexual risks, according to the Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy Annual Report 2025. The report describes these expanded lessons as part of wider safeguarding efforts related to online risks faced by young people.

Referral Data

The 2025 annual report included referral data handled by local safeguarding services. The figures recorded by these services are as follows:

• Child sexual exploitation referrals: 20.

• Sexual abuse referrals: 96.

• Harmful sexual behavior referrals: 72.

The curriculum includes lessons covering the distribution of indecent images, romance scams, and the use of "nudifying" applications.

Collaborative Safety Measures

The safety program is led by a multi-agency partnership involving education, health, police, children's services, and safeguarding organizations, along with third-sector groups such as Safer and the Youth Commission. During the 2024-25 academic year, the States of Guernsey Digital Safety Lead delivered 263 hours of education across local schools.

A new lesson was introduced in 2025 for year 10 students focusing on risks posed by harmful online content, pornography, and AI-generated deepfakes.

Guidance for Families

The initiative includes awareness sessions and guidance for parents and carers, designed to help families identify and respond to online grooming and other forms of sexual harm. Each lesson is accompanied by guidance for parents and carers, including safeguarding contacts and additional information.

Broader Policy Context

The report describes growing concern over children's exposure to harmful sexual content and exploitation. While the report did not establish a direct link between these digital risks and the 258 recorded sexual offences—a figure encompassing all recorded sexual crimes in 2025—it identified digital safety as a key area of collaboration for schools, police, and health agencies.

Report Scope: The figures cited in the report represent referrals recorded by safeguarding services and do not indicate that all cases resulted in confirmed offences.

Sources

• Primary reporting: BBC News: "Children taught detail about online sexual risks"

• Reference Document: Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy Annual Report 2025

• https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c23y3j0ne7po