On 14 October 2026, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers adopted Recommendation CM/Rec(2026)14 on the protection of children from violence through age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education.
The Recommendation asks member States to provide education that is age- and developmentally appropriate, inclusive, science-based and rooted in children’s rights. It frames this education as a central part of national strategies to prevent violence against children.
The preamble expresses concern about children’s “increasing and ever earlier exposure” to pornographic content and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). It warns that this material may become children’s main source of information on sexuality and distort how they understand bodies, sexuality and healthy relationships. The Recommendation describes comprehensive sexuality education as preventive and protective against child sexual abuse, exploitation, grooming, harmful sexual behaviours and technology-facilitated violence.
Several provisions focus on helping children recognise violence and report it. These are the areas where hotlines play a key role:
The guidelines also call for mandatory training for educators on new forms of technology-facilitated violence. They ask Member States to support civil society organisations working to prevent violence against children and to collect integrated, disaggregated data on all forms of violence against children.
The Recommendation is a set of guidelines, not a binding treaty. It asks Member States to regularly review their implementation, with the participation of stakeholders, including children.
