Each year, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) publishes data that paints a stark picture of online harm, and in 2026, the trends are moving in a direction schools can’t afford to ignore. While the full report is detailed, the key takeaway is simple: online risks are increasing in scale, evolving in nature, and affecting younger children more than ever before. For schools and multi-academy trusts, this isn’t just a safeguarding issue, it’s a leadership, technology and infrastructure priority.
The highlights
The latest IWF insights highlight three major shifts:
1. Younger children are increasingly affected
Reports show a continued rise in harmful content involving younger age groups.
This matters for schools because:
- Primary-aged pupils are now part of the risk landscape
- Safeguarding can’t start at secondary level
- Early education around digital behaviour is critical
2. Platforms & behaviours are changing
Traditional social platforms are no longer the only concern.
The report points to:
- Increased use of private messaging apps
- Content being shared across multiple platforms quickly
- More hidden or harder-to-monitor online spaces
For schools, this creates a visibility challenge, as what students experience online is often happening outside obvious channels.
3. AI-generated content is emerging as a new risk
One of the most significant developments is the rise of AI-generated imagery and content.
This introduces new safeguarding challenges:
- Content can be created, altered, and shared at scale
- It’s harder to detect and verify
- The line between “real” and “generated” is increasingly blurred
This is a fast-moving area, and policies, tools and awareness are still catching up.
Why this matters for schools in 2026
It’s easy to view reports like this as background information. But the reality is more immediate.
These trends directly impact:
- Student safety and wellbeing
- School safeguarding responsibilities
- Reputational and regulatory risk
Frameworks like KCSIE already place clear expectations on schools. What’s changing is the complexity of the environment those responsibilities sit within.
The gap: Policy vs reality
Most schools already have safeguarding policies in place. But the IWF data highlights a growing gap:
- Policies are often static
- Online risks are constantly evolving
- Technology use in schools is accelerating
This creates a mismatch between what schools intend to manage and what’s actually happening in practice.
What should schools do differently?
The goal isn’t to react to every new trend; it’s to build a more resilient, proactive approach to safeguarding.
Here are four areas to focus on:
1. Move beyond basic filtering
Filtering remains essential, but it’s no longer enough on its own.
Schools should be thinking about:
- Real-time monitoring and alerts
- Behavioural insights, not just blocked content
- Early intervention signals
Safeguarding is shifting from prevention alone to detection and response.
How Glide can support
Working with trusted partners including Smoothwall and Ativion, Glide can help schools strengthen their safeguarding approach with solutions designed to support filtering, monitoring, visibility and early intervention.
2. Align safeguarding with network strategy
Safeguarding tools rely on the network to function effectively.
If the network is:
- Inconsistent
- Overloaded
- Poorly segmented
…then visibility and protection are compromised.
A robust network isn’t just about performance; it underpins safeguarding capability.
3. Start earlier
With younger children increasingly affected, safeguarding education needs to begin earlier.
This includes:
- Age-appropriate digital awareness
- Clear reporting pathways
- Building safe behaviours from primary level
4. Plan for emerging risks (Including AI)
AI isn’t a future issue; it’s already here.
Schools should be asking:
- Do we understand the risks AI introduces?
- Are staff trained to recognise new forms of harm?
- Are our systems adaptable as threats evolve?
A more practical way to think about safeguarding
The IWF report reinforces an important shift:
Safeguarding is no longer just about blocking access.
It’s about:
- Understanding behaviour
- Gaining visibility
- Responding quickly
- And adapting continuously
The latest IWF data doesn’t just highlight risks; it highlights how quickly the landscape is changing. For schools, the question isn’t whether these issues will have an impact. It’s whether systems, policies, and infrastructure are ready to keep up. Because in 2026, effective safeguarding isn’t defined by what you prevent. It’s defined by how well you understand and respond to what’s really happening.
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