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New deepfake lessons to help safeguard children against AI-generated sexual imagery

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Feb 9, 2026 9:33:59 AM
PSHE Association

With support from the Home Office, the PSHE Association has launched a suite of RSHE lesson plans that give all schools access to the tools and strategies to educate about deepfakes and protect children and young people from AI-generated sexual imagery.

Deepfakes are AI generated images of real people and evidence suggests that most are created to harm (for example, through sexual abuse, disinformation, scams and fraud). 

The vast majority of deepfakes are sexual and created without consent, with women and girls overwhelmingly the victims of AI ‘nudify tools’ and related technologies accessible online or via apps and of course social media. This is why addressing the issue is a key priority in the Government’s violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy. 

Universal preventative education on the harms, consequences, laws and how to seek help is crucial. It is also a requirement under the new statutory RSHE (relationships, sex and health education) guidance to cover deepfakes and AI-generated sexual imagery at key stages 3 and 4 from September, and it is recommended to do some foundational age-appropriate teaching at primary — which is why our lessons range from key stage 2 to 4.

These new lessons will help schools to cover this content with confidence.

 

Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips MP said: 

“These lesson plans give teachers and young people the straight up facts and confidence they need to deal with an online world where sadly they could become a victim of deepfakes and intimate image abuse.

By giving young people clear, practical tools to recognise these harms, we’re not just keeping them safe — we are making sure they feel informed and empowered and, know that they don’t have to face these dangers alone.”

The materials for key stages 3 and 4 will meet schools’ statutory RSHE requirements to teach about AI-generated sexual imagery and deepfakes within the context of understanding about healthy relationships, wellbeing and consent.

Students will learn to:

  • Understand the law, and how it has been strengthened to prohibit creation and sharing of sexual deepfakes.

  • Know how and where young people can get help if they are a victim of sexual deepfake imagery
  • Explore the ethics of creating and sharing AI-generated deepfake images or videos including the motivations, consequences and harms (individual and social) and safeguarding risks

  • Learn strategies to pause and critically assess situations involving deepfakes

The upper key stage 2 materials prepare the ground by focussing more generally on related online risks — including that any realistic photos and videos that are created with generative AI have potential to be circulated widely, and where to get help should they feel worried or concerned about something they have seen or engaged with online.

There will also be a dedicated deepfakes workshop at the PSHE Association 2026 online Spring conference (12 March), alongside a range of keynotes and workshops to help schools prepare for statutory RSHE changes and more.  

 

PSHE Association Chief Executive Jonathan Baggaley said:

“These new deepfake lessons couldn’t come at a more critical time, with AI generated sexual imagery proving a significant safeguarding risk and schools requirement to cover deepfakes from September. We welcome Home Office support in ensuring these materials are available to all teachers, in all schools, and encourage their use widely as part of a planned PSHE education curriculum.”