CDT Report – In Deep Trouble: Surfacing Tech-Powered Sexual Harassment in K-12 Schools

About This Project

Summary

CDT's Equity in Civic Technology team released new survey findings revealing the widespread problem of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII), both real & deepfake, in U.S. K-12 public schools. The research uncovers alarming trends, including 15% of students saying they know of AI-generated deepfake NCII involving their peers—representing 2.30M public high-school students. Despite the growing issue, schools are focusing more on punishment than prevention and victim support.

Goals & Objectives

CDT Civic Tech's latest work builds on multiple years of research asking students, teachers, & parents about the tech & civil rights issues underlying their experiences, to better inform policy solutions addressing problems like student activity monitoring, generative AI, + more.

Results & Impact

This research's findings have immediately been picked up by major news outlets (as well as education-focused ones) like The Atlantic, 404 Media, & EducationWeek, & are being inserted into pressing policy conversations nation-wide around kids online safety bills, student privacy discussions, + more.