It’s been a remarkable year for the CIS community, filled with new initiatives and significant changes. Read our reflections as we celebrate the great strides we're taking forward together.

The prevalence of AI is accompanied by safeguarding concerns facing international schools around online harms. Online sexual extortion is one of these concerns. We’ve outlined seven key actions to prevent and respond to online sexual extortion yourself or when supporting those affected by it.

School safeguarding specialist, Leila Holmyard, explains how identity-based harm and the promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion intersect with child protection and safeguarding. She also shares student feedback and how schools can take action to support and protect them.

There’s been huge progress over the past 10 years in the ways we protect and safeguard children in our care. However, international schools still face significant child protection risks, and mitigating them can be difficult. Jane Foster, a specialist in managing allegations, outlines eight key priorities for schools.

'I often hear from those who wish to achieve a sense of belonging for every student but are worried that their initiatives will inadvertently stoke division or backlash within the community.' Learn more from Dr Emily Meadows and see how her framework can help you and your school.

The international education world was rocked by the revelation of child abuse by a trusted member of the community in 2014. Existing policies and practices within international education were insufficient to effectively protect young people in international schools from exploitation and abuse. A global collaboration took action to move from reactive to proactive safeguarding.  

This blog draws from the CIS Model: Whole-School Approach to Safeguarding and shares how schools can take a comprehensive approach to protecting children from risks related to the use of generative AI. It's packed with links to resources and guidance.

An essential part of Dan Furness' role is answering our member questions about safeguarding and well-being. Low-level concerns is a common topic. Here's some guidance.

How do international schools maintain high-quality records of safeguarding and behaviour concerns while protecting and upholding students’ right to privacy and secure data protection? The International Task Force on Child Protection invites international school colleagues to contribute to a survey on practice in this area.

‘Every generation's experience of youth is different. And ours is framed by social media.’ The quote is from a speech by a 14-year-old keynote speaker at a Childnet Safer Internet Day event in 2023. It makes it clear that young people have a unique experience to share. It's vital that we promote student agency and include their voices in our work to ensure they have the skills to navigate the online world safely, especially in the context of a rapidly changing tech world.

When students know you care about the issues affecting them online and can guide them with up-to-date and engaging online safety education, the space for discussion and support begins to take shape. Here are resources to help.

As international schools continue to expand their horizons with off-site educational trips, the importance of student safety during these excursions has never been more important. Leila Holmyard outlines ten practical steps all schools can follow to ensure off-site adventures are not only educational and enriching but also safe and secure.

As we reflect on the past year, it's with a sense of pride that we share the milestones and innovations that have marked our journey. 

In schools worldwide, educators and staff members play a critical role in promoting the well-being of students. One pressing concern that schools must address is self-harm among students. Self-harm is a complex issue that demands a sensitive and informed approach that takes account of your school’s culture and context.

We're hearing that schools are increasingly concerned about suicidal ideation and the risk of suicide in their communities, especially since the pandemic. Leila Holmyard outlines some resources and guidance around prevention, response and policies.

Educational institutions have long explored methods to respond to student behavioural issues, interpersonal conflicts, and student/staff tensions in the classroom and beyond. Restorative practices offer an alternative approach, looking through a lens of harm, accountability, and restoration.

We asked two specialists about the challenges facing our community related to child protection and safeguarding right now (and what our workshops can do to help).

From cyberbullying to social networking to digital identity, Safer Internet Day each February aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns.

As we update our CIS Safeguarding and Governance Briefing for 2022, Leila Holmyard looks at some unique considerations for schools to take into account when planning safeguarding training for their board.

Amazing work has been achieved by the International Taskforce on Child Protection volunteers since they joined together in 2014. Jane Larsson highlights the breadth of experience they contribute and the opportunity to get involved and further expand the pool of knowledge.