In today’s hyperconnected world—from endless social media feeds to online banking and remote learning—understanding cybersecurity and online safety is more important than ever. But beyond policies and programs, how can we truly understand what’s working in our education efforts?

One answer lies in social insights—the conversations, concerns, and emotions that people share online. These offer a human lens into the lived realities of digital life and can help reveal gaps in online safety education and where we need to do better.

This article explores how social insights can illuminate the current state of online safety education in UK schools, what the data shows, and how educators and policymakers can build more effective, relatable programs.

The UK’s Cybersecurity and Education Landscape

Rising Digital Threats

Cyberattacks in the UK are no longer rare or hypothetical. In 2024, half of UK businesses reported experiencing at least one cyberattack. Phishing was the most common, accounting for 84% of all incidents, with the average cost of a breach hitting £10,830.

Despite these risks:

  • Only 31% of organisations conducted cyber risk assessments.

  • A small fraction had formal incident response plans or cyber insurance in place.

Schools Under Pressure

Schools are increasingly in the crosshairs. According to the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025, many UK schools still rely on inadequate defences:

  • Just 48–56% of schools apply critical security updates within two weeks—lagging behind both colleges and businesses.

Additional findings from the Online Safety Alliance report:

  • 71% of secondary schools

  • 86% of colleges

  • And a staggering 97% of universities
    experienced cyberattacks in the past year.

Consequences range from ransomware shutting down operations to financial scams—like a £385,000 fraud targeting a Multi-Academy Trust.

Curriculum and Policy Support

To address these growing challenges, the UK government has integrated online safety into the national curriculum:

  • Relationships Education (primary)

  • Relationships & Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education (secondary)
    These include content on digital literacy, online behaviour, and data protection.

The UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS) also provides the Education for a Connected World framework, outlining age-appropriate digital skills. NGOs such as 5Rights have added to this with rights-based resources that focus on children’s online experiences and wellbeing.

What Social Insights Reveal

Gender Gaps in Digital Comfort

A UK-wide survey revealed that women are significantly more likely than men to fear online harm and feel less confident expressing themselves online:

  • Only 24% of women felt comfortable sharing political views online, compared to nearly 40% of men.

This suggests online safety education must address more than just the technical side—it needs to tackle emotional safety, confidence, and inclusive digital participation.

What Schools Are Saying Online

A recent academic study analysed nearly 200,000 tweets from over 15,000 UK schools, uncovering active engagement with topics like cybersecurity, digital wellbeing, and online safety.

This kind of social media data can help educators and policymakers identify:

  • What topics are resonating in real classrooms

  • Where knowledge gaps persist

  • How online safety is being communicated at scale

How Educators and Policymakers Can Respond

1. Use Real Conversations to Inform Teaching

Social insights—such as student concerns, teacher frustrations, and parent worries—can help shape programs that feel practical and grounded.
Instead of generic warnings, anchor lessons in real questions like:

“How can I tell if this message is a scam?”
“What should I do if someone threatens me online?”

2. Address Emotional Safety and Confidence

Recognise that boys and girls may experience online harms differently. Build lessons that:

  • Encourage open conversations

  • Prioritise emotional safety

  • Promote respectful digital behaviour

3. Equip Teachers with Better Tools

Provide up-to-date training and ready-to-use resources on:

  • Phishing and scams

  • Grooming and radicalisation

  • AI-generated deepfakes

  • Data privacy and algorithm awareness

4. Let Data Drive Adaptability

Social media trends and teacher feedback can be valuable tools. For example:

  • If AI scams are trending in parenting forums, provide a quick explainer or host a webinar.

  • If teachers are raising concerns about deepfakes, add that to PSHE lesson plans.

Being responsive to real-time signals helps make policy and practice more relevant and timely.

Conclusion

Online safety and cybersecurity education in the UK isn’t just about ticking curriculum boxes. It’s about equipping students, teachers, and communities with the knowledge, confidence, and empathy to navigate the digital world safely.

By listening to social insights—the real voices behind the stats—we can build education programs that truly connect. Programs that don’t just warn, but empower. That don’t just inform, but engages.

Let’s move beyond “be safe online” to something far more powerful: “An education that protects, resonates, and prepares young people for the world they’re already living in—online.”

 

Source: Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS)