CEDAW/C/GC/36 (d) Respond to cases of violence against girls and women in educational institutions through confidential and independent reporting mechanisms, effective investigations, criminal prosecutions where appropriate and the adequate punishment of perpetrators and by providing services for victims/survivors; (e) Ensure that all incidents of violence against girls and women in educational institutions are reported and recorded, check the criminal records of school personnel prior to their employment and develop and enforce codes of conduct for all school staff and students; (f) Adopt national plans of action to address school-related violence against girls, including guidelines for schools and compulsory training for teachers and students in early intervention strategies to address sexual harassment and violence against girls; (g) Designate a government mechanism for preventing and investigating incidents of violence in educational institutions and provide adequate public funding to address the problem; (h) Provide support services for girls who experience violence, including counselling, medical treatment, HIV/AIDS information and medication; (i) Develop and introduce age-appropriate, evidence-based, scientifically accurate mandatory curricula at all levels of education, covering comprehensive information on sexual and reproductive health and rights, responsible sexual behaviour, prevention of early pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Cyberbullying 70. Another form of abuse that girls experience is cyberbullying, by which information and communications technologies and various social media platforms are the means through which perpetrators intimidate, threaten or harass them. While both boys and girls are involved in cyberbullying, research shows that girls, in particular adolescent girls, are almost twice as likely as boys to be both victims and perpetrators. Online victimization of adolescent girls takes many forms, including name-calling, rumours, threats, disclosure of confidential information, images and videos, revenge porn, sexual harassment and sexual advances, often from strangers. 71. Cyberbullying has a wide variety of effects on adolescent girls, including mild or extreme emotional effects, feelings of being unsafe and frightened and, in some instances, suicidal ideation or suicide. 72. The Committee recommends that, although cyberbullying is not always rooted in the school environment, States parties take the following measures in schools to protect girls: (a) Alert parents to the spread of the phenomenon of cyberbullying and the impacts that it can have on girls; (b) Develop comprehensive programmes that inform teachers, students and parents about the forms that cyberbullying can take and the potential impacts, and provide counselling and support for students who are victims of cyberbullying; (c) Put into place policies that ensure that the technologies available in schools are not used for the purpose of cyberbullying and monitor their implementation; 17-19774 19/23