UNICEF: 1 in 5 children face online sexual abuse

Around one in five children aged 12 to 17 experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse over a single year across 21 countries, according to a new UNICEF report.

The report estimates that about 20 million children were exposed to at least one form of sexual abuse or exploitation through digital technologies.

The findings are based on surveys of nearly 21,000 internet-using children, along with interviews with young people who experienced abuse during childhood.

UNICEF said more than 15 million children were exposed to unwanted sexual content. Around 9 million were pressured into sexual conversations or asked to share sexual images against their will.

Another four million children had sexual images of themselves distributed without their consent.

Social media platforms accounted for the largest share of reported cases. Nearly 60 per cent of incidents occurred on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp.

Online gaming platforms accounted for about 14 per cent of cases.

The report also highlighted that perpetrators were often not strangers. About 57 per cent of children said the person involved was someone they already knew, including friends, peers, family members or romantic partners.

However, 38 per cent encountered the perpetrator online for the first time. Fake accounts, private messages and other digital tools were among the methods used to establish contact.

The abuse had serious consequences for children’s emotional wellbeing. Participants reported fear, shame, confusion, isolation and a loss of trust and personal safety.

UNICEF’s analysis also found a strong link between online sexual exploitation and self-harm or suicidal thoughts and behaviours. Children who experienced such abuse were four times more likely to report these experiences and also showed significantly higher levels of anxiety.

The risks were particularly severe in some countries. In Mexico and North Macedonia, children who experienced abuse faced more than eight times the risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviours. In Pakistan, the risk of self-harm was more than seven times higher among affected children.

Despite the scale of the problem, many victims do not seek help.

More than 40 per cent of reported experiences were never disclosed to anyone, while less than one per cent were reported to authorities, including police, social workers or helplines.

UNICEF said the most common reason for remaining silent was that children did not know where to seek help or whom to approach.

The agency urged governments, technology companies, schools, families and communities to strengthen online protections for children.

Recommended measures include stronger privacy safeguards, tighter controls on unsolicited contact by adults, safer content recommendation systems and better systems for detecting and reporting abuse.

UNICEF also called for stronger laws, effective enforcement and accessible support services for victims.

The organisation stressed that children need safer digital spaces as online platforms increasingly become part of their education, entertainment and social lives.