Professional learning
Free professional learning designed for educators and others working with children and young people in school and other settings.
eSafety's professional learning covers the latest online safety research, case studies and teaching and support strategies. It aims to support educators and those who work with young people in school and other settings to integrate online safety into their teaching and learning programs and student wellbeing education and support.
Please note certificates of attendance are not issued for webinars. You will receive a webinar registration email with session details. Please check with your relevant regulatory authority for professional learning documentation requirements.
Social media age restrictions
Find out more at eSafety’s What do the social media age restrictions mean for educators.
On this page:
- Risks and rewards of online communities: what educators and youth-serving professionals need to know
- How AI is influencing new online risks for children and young people
- Recognising online coercive control in young people's lives
- The changing face of cyberbullying – supporting young people in 2026
- How the need for connection and belonging shapes children and young people’s vulnerability online
- Influencers, ideology and impact: how algorithms influence and reinforce harmful beliefs
- AI-generated images and videos: navigating the deepfake threat
- The trust trap: navigating friendships, pressure and manipulation online
- Download and share social media tiles
- Webinars and presentations on request
- On-demand professional learning videos
- Self-paced online modules for lower primary teachers
- eSafety Champions Network
- Virtual classroom webinars for primary schools
Risks and rewards of online communities: What educators and youth-serving professionals need to know
Online communities offer opportunities for connection, learning, and support across diverse interests and identities. They can foster belonging, amplify voices, and provide access to resources and peer advice. However, these spaces also carry risks, including exposure to misinformation, cyberbullying, sexual exploitation, and harmful content.
This webinar explores the role of online communities in the lives of young people, and outlines how professionals can support safe and positive online experiences for young people.
In this session, you will:
- develop an understanding of young people’s experiences within online communities
- explore the risks of online communities for young people, including exposure to harmful beliefs and content
- identify strategies to support young people and promote safe and positive online experiences.
27 May 2026, 3.45pm (AEST)
How AI is influencing new online risks for children and young people
This session explores the risks linked to generative AI. Understanding these risks, how to minimise them, and how to respond when something goes wrong, is essential for everyone, especially those working with children and young people.
This webinar for educators and youth-serving professionals covers:
- Current and emerging risks including AI companion chatbots, sexual and non-sexual deepfakes, AI influencers, and AI-facilitated cyberbullying and harassment.
- How these technologies affect young people’s safety, privacy, development, and mental and social health.
- Practical strategies and resources to help children and young people navigate these risks, and guidance on how and where to seek help.
25 June 2026, 3.45pm (AEST)
23 July 2026, 3.45pm (AEST)
Recognising online coercive control in young people's lives
It’s not always easy to spot when a relationship becomes controlling, especially for young people. Coercive control is a pattern of abusive behaviours that uses manipulation, monitoring, surveillance, pressure, and fear to limit someone’s freedom and independence. When technology is involved, it can be even harder to recognise.
This webinar for secondary educators, and school support staff will explore:
- how technology-facilitated coercive control impacts young people
- the common red flags to watch for
- practical ways to respond and support those experiencing it.
28 July 2026, 3.45pm (AEST)
The changing face of cyberbullying – supporting young people in 2026
Cyberbullying is rapidly evolving—and so must our approach. This webinar for educators and youth serving professionals explores how online harm is changing with new technologies driving rapid shifts in both the nature of the issue and the tactics used.
This webinar will cover:
- the latest trends in cyberbullying as seen by our eSafety investigators
- recognising the signs and strategies to build protective factors
- strengthening communication with families to support early intervention and safer digital habits.
18 August 2026, 3.45pm (AEST)
The trust trap: navigating friendships, pressure and manipulation online
Children and young people experience subtle forms of online manipulation that can shape their friendships, identity and wellbeing. Behaviours like exclusion, controlling dynamics, and emotionally loaded 'just joking' interactions are common and may be difficult to spot. This webinar unpacks online manipulative behaviours and harmful friendship dynamics.
In this webinar, secondary school educators and youth-serving professionals will:
- learn the common signs of online manipulation and understand the challenges young people face with friendships online
- understand the common harmful friendship dynamics and why young people may may feel trapped, responsible or unable to set boundaries
- gain practical strategies to start conversations with young people about healthy online boundaries and safe digital friendships.
3 June 2026, 5.45pm (AEST)
1 September 2026, 3.45pm (AEST)
How the need for connection and belonging shapes children and young people’s vulnerability online
Connection, identity and belonging are powerful drivers for young people online, but they can also increase vulnerability.
This webinar explores:
- how vulnerability develops
- why some young people are more at risk online
- how needs and behaviours may be recognised and exploited by both peers and others online.
Leave with practical strategies to better support safer online engagement.
9 September 2026, 3.45pm (AEST)
Influencers, ideology and impact: how algorithms influence and reinforce harmful beliefs
This webinar explores both the benefits and risks of recommender algorithms and offers practical strategies to help educators and youth-serving professionals to support young people with algorithmic literacy to build more positive and safer online feeds.
You will learn about:
- the role of algorithms and recommender systems in driving engagement and shaping online experiences
- how platforms and online communities keep young people engaged, expose them to harmful content and reinforce gendered stereotypes
- strategies to shape algorithmic feeds and build more positive and safe online experiences
- how eSafety can support people experiencing serious online harm.
16 September 2026, 3.45pm (AEST)
AI-generated images and videos: navigating the deepfake threat
Deepfakes and 'synthetic' media are becoming more common as AI tools grow in accessibility and ease of use. Some of these tools are being used to create harmful content, including images and videos involving young people both as targets and as creators.
This webinar for educators and youth-serving professionals will cover:
- how young people are experiencing fake images and videos – the tools, the behaviours, the impacts
- the technological, social and cultural contexts that are driving the use of deepfakes
- support strategies for professionals working with young people to both prevent and respond to online abuse that uses images and videos.
27 August 2026, 3.45pm (AEST)
Download and share social media tiles
Sharing eSafety information with your school, service, parent community or colleagues and networks? You can download ready‑to‑use images of upcoming eSafety webinars for use on social media and other communications.
Coming soon
Webinars and presentations on request
Explore our other educational webinars designed to keep you, your students, school and community group safe online.
Our presentations and webinars can be incorporated into a staff meeting or delivered at conferences and used towards elective professional learning hours.
If you’re a school leader or part of a professional network and are interested in organising a webinar, contact us for more information, or visit our Training and presentations FAQs. Minimum participant numbers are required for most sessions.
Social media self-defence for school leaders
This one-hour session is designed for primary and secondary school leaders or aspiring leaders who want to build their skills and learn more about managing social media in their school community and/or professional lives. It examines the types of tech-based abuse experienced in educational settings and offers evidence-based guidance for improving safety. The webinar includes case studies that illustrate formal and informal responses to tech-based abuse in schools and explains eSafety’s reporting schemes.
The webinar covers:
- the latest research and data about the types of online abuse experienced in school environments
- the professional and personal impacts for teachers and flow on effects in school workplaces
- strategies and guidance for setting up social media with a focus on safety
- eSafety’s role and our reporting schemes
- case studies that demonstrate the practicalities of responding to online attacks, including how to manage reporting processes.
Tailored learning for specific topics
We can also provide sessions on a range of online safety topics to suit your needs, including:
- Responding and reporting: critical online incidents in school settings
- Navigating online friendships
- Wellbeing and digital technologies
- Digital rights and responsibilities of students and educators
- Online harmful sexual behaviours, misinformation, and emerging technologies
- Online safety considerations for generative AI in education
- Supporting online gaming experiences
On-demand professional learning videos
Professional learning videos on a range of online safety topics are available for government, Catholic and independent school sectors. Contact your school sector for more information and to request access.
School sector representatives can contact educationsectors@esafety.gov.au for access to current professional learning videos:
eSafety 101
Provides an overview of the role, functions and supporting programs and resources of the eSafety Commissioner for K-12 schools and families.
Responding and reporting critical online incidents
Designed for school leaders, teachers, and non-teaching staff, who play a role in supporting or leading the response and reporting associated with critical online incidents that occur within school communities. Case studies are explored, reporting processes and incident assessment tools shared.
Supporting safer online gaming experiences
Designed for primary and lower secondary school staff. It provides strategies for supporting children and young people to have safe, positive experiences when playing games online.
Self-paced online modules for lower primary teachers
These self-paced online modules are for lower primary school educators teaching online safety. Each program is based on recent research and includes practical teaching strategies, classroom activities and additional reading.
eSafety Champions Network
eSafety Champions are teachers, wellbeing professionals or staff representatives who make online safety a priority in their schools. Education sector representatives are also welcome to join the Network.
Every Champion in the network is given the skills, tools, and knowledge to keep their school safe online.
Virtual classroom webinars for primary schools
eSafety's trainers deliver live online safety lessons to primary schools via Virtual Classroom webinars.
We work with government, Catholic, and independent school sectors to deliver webinars nationally, including to regional and remote areas. Different topics are run throughout the year, covering a range of current online safety issues. The advice is informed by the latest research and intelligence from our investigation teams and eSafety's Best Practice Framework for Online Safety Education.
Last updated: 26/05/2026