On 29 June 2026, the Council of the European Union adopted conclusions calling on Member States to take active steps to prevent and combat cyber violence against girls, including through gender-responsive digital design, digital literacy in schools, and support for parents and caregivers. The document, an outcome of proceedings from the Council meeting on that date, identifies cyber violence as a rapidly growing form of gender-based violence requiring coordinated, gender-responsive approaches.
The conclusions urge Member States to promote safety-by-design in digital technologies and AI systems, prevent algorithmic bias, and address discriminatory outcomes. Schools are called upon to provide gender-responsive digital literacy covering online safety, disinformation detection, generative AI, and algorithmic bias awareness. Parents, caregivers, and legal guardians should receive practical digital parenting guidance, training, and free, enabled-by-default parental control software. Additionally, schools and informal education centres should implement clear protocols for detecting and responding to technology-facilitated abuse and raise awareness of legal remedies for victims.
26% of trafficking victims for sexual exploitation were children (24% girls, 2% boys), and the EU Gender-based Violence Survey indicates 8.5% of women experienced cyberstalking. The conclusions are non-binding but set a policy direction for Member States. No prior coverage of this file exists in the last 180 days.
National authorities face pressure to allocate resources for digital literacy curricula and parental support programmes. Tech companies may need to adjust product design to meet safety-by-design expectations, potentially increasing compliance costs. Schools and educators must implement new protocols and training, adding to administrative burdens. Girls and young women stand to benefit from reduced exposure to cyber violence and improved digital safety. The Council's call is expected to feed into future legislative proposals, with the European Commission likely to follow up with recommendations or funding initiatives.