By Lebogang Maribe
According to Child Online Safety Index (COSI) data, 67% of South African children aged eight to 18 experienced at least one major cyber risk in 2023.
These harms include cyberbullying (and peer-led harassment), cybersecurity threats (and exploitation), exposure to harmful or inappropriate content and technology overuse or gaming disorders.
The digital world has transformed the way young people learn, communicate and experience wellbeing. For schools, this shift presents both a significant opportunity and responsibility.
Child protection can no longer be limited to physical environments alone, as the emotional and social realities affecting learners now unfold simultaneously online.
Today’s learners move constantly between classrooms, homes, social media, gaming spaces and messaging applications. Conflict that begins during the school day continues online within minutes, while peer exclusion, humiliation, and harmful content spread rapidly through group chats and anonymous accounts. Emotional harm becomes amplified, permanent, and difficult for young people to escape.
Consequently, the relationship between child protection and digital safety is inseparable. Schools are being called to respond to a generation growing up in a permanently connected world.
Across South Africa, concerns around cyberbullying, harassment, sextortion and exposure to harmful content, are on the rise. Many schools report that online interactions contribute directly to emotional distress, academic disengagement, and disciplinary matters. Digital safeguarding is now central to learner wellbeing.
Cyberbullying remains one of the most visible forms of online harm. Unlike traditional bullying, digital harm extends beyond the school gate.
Learners experience intimidation and humiliation long after the school day ends, with intensified impact due to the permanent nature of digital platforms. At the same time, learners are increasingly exposed to online environments that influence self-esteem and relationships. Online comparison culture and constant connectivity can deepen anxiety, particularly within already demanding educational spaces.
Online exploitation also remains an increasing concern. Many young people are engaging in digital spaces without the developmental maturity to fully assess online risk critically.
This creates vulnerability to manipulation and the inappropriate sharing of personal information. These realities reinforce the importance of trusted adult relationships and ongoing learner education.
Importantly, schools are uniquely positioned to lead this conversation. Beyond academic achievement, schools shape citizenship, values and emotional intelligence. This responsibility now extends directly into digital spaces. Building digital resilience requires more than fear-based messaging or isolated campaigns.
Learners need practical skills to think critically, manage conflict responsibly and engage ethically. Equally important is helping young people establish healthy boundaries with technology, particularly regarding sleep disruption, social comparison and the pressure to constantly be available.
Digital citizenship can no longer be a once-off initiative. It must become part of everyday education. Just as institutions intentionally teach academic literacy, they must intentionally develop digital literacy, ethics and wellbeing.
This shift requires schools to move beyond purely punitive responses. While accountability is essential, many digital harms emerge from impulsivity or poor judgment. Effective safeguarding should prioritise education, restoration, and learner support alongside discipline.
Digital safeguarding cannot rest solely on schools.
Children move seamlessly between home, school and online platforms, making collaboration essential. Parents, educators and technology providers all have a critical role to play in creating safer digital environments.
Parents must model healthy digital habits, while schools support prevention and early identification, with educators receiving ongoing professional development to remain responsive to emerging risks. The role of technology companies and policymakers is to strengthen child-centred digital policies and age-appropriate safeguards.
Sustainable impact will emerge through shared responsibility. Schools have an opportunity to position themselves as leading spaces of digital resilience and ethical leadership.
The goal is not to remove technology, but to ensure that young people are equipped to engage with digital spaces safely and confidently. The conversation is no longer about managing risk. It is about preparing young people for healthy participation in modern society.
Lebogang Maribe is Head Social Worker at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls.
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