ISLAMABAD: An estimated 20 million children ages 12 to 17, nearly 1 in 5, were subjected to at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse in a single year across 21 countries, according to a UNICEF report released Thursday.
The report, “Through Children’s Eyes: How Digital Technologies Enable Child Sexual Abuse,” combines children’s testimonies with survey data to document the scale and impact of sexual abuse and exploitation facilitated by digital technologies.
UNICEF estimates that more than 15 million children were exposed to unwanted sexual content, while 9 million were pressured to participate in sexual conversations or share sexual images against their will. About 4 million children had sexual images of themselves shared without their consent.
The agency said the actual scale is likely higher because many children do not report their experiences.
“The report reveals a painful reality,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said. “More than 20 million children across the countries studied were subjected to unwanted explicit sexual content or exploitation online, often in the digital spaces where they learn, play, and connect with friends.”
Nearly 60% of reported cases occurred on social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp, according to the report. Another 14% took place in online games, where features such as private messaging and other interactive functions can be exploited to gain children’s trust.
In Montenegro, more than 80% of reported cases involved social media platforms, while in Colombia, social media was linked to more than half of the cases.
Exploitation can lead to suicidal thoughts
The findings also challenge the perception that online sexual abuse is primarily committed by strangers. Across the countries surveyed, 57% of cases involved someone the child already knew, including peers, romantic partners, friends or family members.
At the same time, 38% of children reported first encountering the perpetrator online. UNICEF cited fake accounts and private messaging features as examples of tools that can facilitate abuse.
The consequences can extend beyond the initial incident. Children who experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation were four times more likely to report suicidal thoughts.
Governments, other stakeholders, need to act urgently
The findings point to an urgent need for action by governments, technology companies, and other stakeholders to better protect children in the digital age.
The report calls for safer digital platforms through stronger privacy protections, limits on unsolicited adult contact, safer recommendation algorithms, and improved abuse detection and reporting.
It emphasizes strengthening laws and regulatory enforcement to keep pace with evolving threats like sextortion and AI-generated abuse material, while building trustworthy reporting and support systems backed by investment in child protection, health, justice, and social services.
It also stresses shifting responsibility away from children onto families, schools, and communities to ensure supportive responses when abuse is disclosed.
It also addresses root causes by reducing the economic vulnerabilities perpetrators exploit — through family support and expanded education/employment opportunities — and challenging harmful social and gender norms that sexualize girls and stigmatize survivors.