Mapping Bullying Behavior Through AI: Dentsu Lab and D.A.V. School Partnership
Published: 08 Apr 2026
Author: Gautam Mahajan
D.A.V. Public School, one of India’s largest school networks, has partnered with Classteacher, a leader in AI-driven smart classrooms, and Dentsu Lab to launch Bullying Decoder. The tool uses existing CCTV infrastructure to convert classroom audio into aggregated insights, helping schools detect patterns of verbal bullying. While visual monitoring is common, underused audio leaves issues like body shaming and exclusionary comments unseen. By activating dormant audio feeds and applying AI beyond simple keyword detection, Bullying Decoder closes this visibility gap.
According to Precedence Research, the Emotion AI Market was valued at USD 9.10 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow from USD 12.96 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 311.99 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 42.40% from 2026 to 2035, driven by Advancements in machine learning and deep learning technologies.
Classroom Insights and Interventions
- The newly launched system analyzes emotional intensity, tone, and repetition to identify behavioral patterns across classrooms and grades.
- Insights are translated into an easy-to-understand dashboard showing the emotional sentiment of each grade.
- Data is fully anonymized and aggregated, protecting individual student privacy while revealing overall classroom dynamics.
- By turning audio feeds into insights, Bullying Decoder enables schools to move from reactive responses to proactive interventions.
- Educators and counsellors design age-appropriate, context-specific sessions, tailoring support to students’ emotional and developmental needs.
Privacy-First, Empathy-Driven Design
The system operates under four fundamental principles: Privacy, Pattern, Intervention, and Empathy. Created to assist educators rather than facilitate surveillance or punitive measures, Bullying Decoder enables them to comprehend behavioral patterns and cultivate a more empathetic school atmosphere. It refrains from identifying, tagging, or tracking individual students and does not store any audio. Instead, it analyzes classroom sentiment and records only aggregated insights, which are displayed through a secure dashboard for principals and counselors to develop grade-specific preventative interventions.
Human-Centric AI Against Bullying
Dr. Anita Gautam, Principal of DAV, said Bullying Decoder reinforces the belief that every child should feel safe, valued, and understood, strengthening efforts to build empathy, awareness, and timely support. Abhishek, Business Head at Classteacher Learning Systems, described the company as a problem solver, innovating to address real student challenges and improve learning environments. Gurbaksh Singh and Narayan Devanathan of Dentsu highlighted the scalable, human-centric AI system that makes verbal bullying visible and enables early intervention with meaningful long-term impact.
With Bullying Decoder integrated into its pastoral care framework, D.A.V. Public School has seen early improvements in classroom interactions during the 2025–2026 session and now plans to extend the initiative to additional branches.
A recent report by Precedence Research highlights that the Emotion AI Market is benefiting from the rising adoption in the education sector.