Student learning · Grades 9–12 · 45 minutes
Not a Prank, It's Abuse
Students face the hard truth that making or sharing an AI nude of a real classmate is image-based sexual abuse and a crime, learn what to do if they or a friend are targeted, and rehearse being the person who refuses to pass it on.
Apps that fabricate realistic nude images of real people have turned up in high schools, and the harm often hides behind words like prank or joke. This lesson strips that cover away. Without ever showing or describing explicit material, students learn that creating or sharing a non-consensual sexual image of a real person, including an AI deepfake, is image-based sexual abuse and is illegal, with the 2025 federal Take It Down Act now requiring platforms to remove it fast. They work through what to do if they are targeted (it is not your fault, save proof without sharing, tell a trusted adult, report, request takedown) and, just as important, how to act when they are a bystander, the person in the group chat who can refuse to forward it, report it, and support the target instead of laughing along. The tone is serious, trauma-informed, and non-shaming; the goal is a school where students understand the real stakes and know that the strong move is to stop the harm, not spread it.
In this packet
- Handout A: Name It Honestly (card sort)
- Handout B: If It Happens, To You or a Friend (checklist)
- Handout C: The Bystander's Choice (worksheet)
- Facilitator key (last page)
TCEA ELE indicators
- S2.3 I am aware of the potential risks of sharing content online.
- S2.1 I know how to protect my personal information online.
- AI2.1 I know how to apply ethical principles when using or developing AI for education.
- T2.2 I know how to guide students in safe and responsible internet use.
Full facilitator guide: mglearn.github.io/eles/activities/not-a-prank-its-abuse.html
Handout A for Not a Prank, It's Abuse
Name It Honestly
Sort each statement into MYTH or TRUTH. Then discuss the truths as a table. No explicit content, this is about what's true, not about any image.
Myth
Truth
Handout A for Not a Prank, It's Abuse
Name It Honestly: cards to sort
Cut apart the strips. Sort each one onto the mat and be ready to explain why.
"It's AI, it's not a real photo, so nobody actually gets hurt."
Making or sharing a fake sexual image of a real person is image-based sexual abuse.
"If I didn't make it, just forwarded it, I didn't do anything wrong."
This can be a crime even when both people involved are minors.
"Once it's online there's nothing anyone can do."
The person targeted is a victim and it is not their fault.
"It's just a joke between friends."
Telling a trusted adult and reporting it is the strong move, not snitching.
"Deleting it from my phone means I should stay quiet about it."
Platforms now have to remove non-consensual intimate images, including deepfakes, when reported.
Handout B for Not a Prank, It's Abuse
If It Happens, To You or a Friend
Keep this. If you or someone you know is targeted, these are the steps. You have rights and a real path. Reaching out is strength.
| I know this step | I need to ask about it | |
|---|---|---|
| IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT. The person who made or shared it did something wrong, not you. | ||
| Don't panic-delete everything. Save proof of WHERE it is (links, usernames, dates) without forwarding the image to anyone. | ||
| Tell a trusted adult right away, a parent, counselor, teacher, or coach. | ||
| Report it to the platform using its reporting tool for non-consensual intimate images. | ||
| With an adult, report to law enforcement or the national reporting line for exploitation of minors. | ||
| Request takedown, the Take It Down Act requires platforms to remove reported non-consensual images, including deepfakes, quickly. | ||
| Ask about free takedown-help services that remove intimate images of minors from participating platforms. | ||
| Get support, a counselor or trusted adult can help with the feelings, not just the logistics. | ||
| My campus reporting contact (write the real name/number here): __________ |
Notes
Handout C for Not a Prank, It's Abuse
The Bystander's Choice
Most people won't be the creator or the target, they'll be in the chat. Decide the moves that STOP the harm, and write lines you could actually send.
SCENARIO: A fake sexual image of someone in your grade gets dropped into a group chat and people start reacting. List the moves that STOP the harm (vs. the ones that spread it).
A real line I could send IN the chat to break the pile-on (e.g., "Not cool, I'm not sharing that"):
A real line I could send PRIVATELY to support the person targeted:
MY COMMITMENT: what I will do if I see this happen:
One thing I understand now that I didn't before today:
Facilitator only for Not a Prank, It's Abuse
Answer key and notes
Handout A: Name It Honestly
| Item | Sort | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "It's AI, it's not a real photo, so nobody actually gets hurt." | Myth | The person is real and the harm, humiliation, fear, reputational damage, is real. |
| Making or sharing a fake sexual image of a real person is image-based sexual abuse. | Truth | Naming it accurately is the first step to taking it seriously. |
| "If I didn't make it, just forwarded it, I didn't do anything wrong." | Myth | Forwarding spreads the abuse and can itself be illegal. |
| This can be a crime even when both people involved are minors. | Truth | Being a teen does not make it legal or harmless. |
| "Once it's online there's nothing anyone can do." | Myth | The 2025 Take It Down Act requires platforms to remove reported material quickly. |
| The person targeted is a victim and it is not their fault. | Truth | Blame belongs to whoever created or spread it, never the target. |
| "It's just a joke between friends." | Myth | Calling abuse a joke hides the harm and protects the person causing it. |
| Telling a trusted adult and reporting it is the strong move, not snitching. | Truth | Stopping harm protects a real person; staying silent lets it spread. |
| "Deleting it from my phone means I should stay quiet about it." | Myth | Report first (saving proof of where it is), then follow adult/platform guidance on deleting. |
| Platforms now have to remove non-consensual intimate images, including deepfakes, when reported. | Truth | That's what the Take It Down Act requires, giving targets a real path. |