ijspsy: call for special issue 2: 2026

THEME: Technology-facilitated gender-based violence in schools: Learner and teacher-based

Guest editor  

Prof. Sumeshni Govender, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Zululand, South Africa 

Email: govenders@unizulu.ac.za  

Editor-In-Chief 

Dr. Kananga Robert Mukuna, University of the Free State, South Africa 
The International Journal of Studies in Psychology (IJSPSY) is a peer-reviewed journal, published by the Global Association of Educational and Research in Psychology (GAERPSY). It is indexed in the DOAJ and listed on accredited journals, as well as in the Department of Higher Education and Training in South Africa, Sabinet, and African Journals Online (AJOL).

Rationale 

It is imperative that researchers sustain and deepen critical discussions about harmful behaviours that manifest in both online and offline environments. These behaviours can have severe psychological, social, and educational consequences for students, teachers, and parents, with particularly acute and disproportionate effects on girls and young women. As AI-driven tools become embedded in learning management systems, assessment platforms, and communication channels, they may inadvertently amplify existing risks or create new avenues for abuse, surveillance, and discrimination if not carefully governed.  These findings underscore the importance of understanding not only the benefits of digital tools in education but also the potential risks associated with continuous connectivity, exposure to online content, and the blurring of boundaries between learning, leisure, and the formation of personal identity. Since this earlier period, there has been a marked escalation in technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). Lockdowns and school closures intensified reliance on digital spaces for education, social interaction, and professional engagement, thereby increasing opportunities for abuse, harassment, and exploitation to occur online.. Survivors may experience trauma, fear, shame, and isolation, while perpetrators may normalise violent behaviours, reinforce harmful gender norms, and entrench patterns of abuse that extend into offline relationships. Bystanders, including peers and educators who witness or are aware of TFGBV but feel powerless or unsure how to intervene, may experience moral distress, guilt, and desensitisation over time.  The impacts may include chronic anxiety, depression, diminished academic performance, disengagement from school or professional environments, and a pervasive erosion of trust in digital and physical communities. TFGBV may take multiple, overlapping forms, including but not limited to: image-based abuse and non-consensual sharing of intimate images; cyberbullying and targeted harassment; sexual extortion (sextortion); doxxing and the malicious exposure of personal information; online impersonation and identity theft; persistent cyberstalking; grooming of minors or vulnerable individuals; and social technology-exclusion, where individuals are deliberately isolated from digital groups, platforms, or communication channels. 

Submission criteria  

Original research papers (6000-8000 words) are invited. 

• Manuscripts will be accepted for publication in English.
• Empirical studies are preferred, but conceptual/theoretical papers will be considered.
• Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies are allowed.

 Manuscripts should address an important but overlooked aspect/topic. Manuscripts should present new theoretical or conceptual ideas, with innovative context-sensitive applications. 

Tentative submission process and timeline: 

 All manuscripts must be submitted to Prof. Sumeshni Govender at govenders@unizulu.ac.za and a copy to Editor-ijspsy@gaerpsy.com . Please visit the IJSPSY website for details on our editorial policy and referencing style. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ijspsy