An estimated 20 million children aged 12 to 17, or nearly 1 in 5, experienced at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse in a single year across 21 countries, UNICEF said.
The findings are included in a new report titled Through Children’s Eyes: How Digital Technologies Enable Child Sexual Abuse, which combines survey data with testimonies from children who experienced abuse.
“The report reveals a painful reality. 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,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said.
“Many children suffer in silence, unsure where to turn for help. We cannot look away,” she added.
The report estimated that more than 15 million children were exposed to unwanted sexual content, while 9 million were asked to engage in sexual conversations or share sexual images against their will.
Around 4 million had sexual images of themselves shared without their consent.
Most cases occurred on social media platforms
Nearly 60% of cases occurred on social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp, while 14% took place in online games, according to the report.
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The report found that 57% of cases involved someone the child already knew, including peers, romantic partners, friends and family members. At the same time, 38% of children first encountered the perpetrator online, with abuse facilitated through tools such as fake accounts and private messaging.
The experiences had a significant impact on children’s emotional well-being, sense of safety and trust in others, with research participants describing feelings of fear, shame, confusion and isolation, according to the report.
Children who experienced technology-facilitated exploitation were four times more likely to report suicidal thoughts or behaviours and self-harm, and also reported significantly higher levels of anxiety, the analysis found.
In Mexico and North Macedonia, the risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviours was more than eight times higher among children who experienced abuse, while in Pakistan the risk of self-harm was more than seven times higher, according to the report.
Children suffer in silence
More than 40% of cases were never shared with anyone, while fewer than 1% were reported to authorities, including police, social workers or helplines.
The most common reason children remained silent across the countries surveyed was not knowing where to go or whom to tell, UNICEF said.
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The report calls on governments, technology companies and other stakeholders to strengthen protections for children online, including stronger privacy safeguards, restrictions on unsolicited contact from adults, safer recommender systems and improved detection and reporting of abuse.
It also calls for stronger laws and enforcement measures, improved reporting and support systems, and greater support for families, schools and communities.
“All of us, including governments and technology companies, must do more to protect children online,” Russell said.
The report draws on nationally representative surveys of approximately 21,000 internet-using children aged 12 to 17 across 21 countries, alongside in-depth interviews with 100 young people who experienced abuse in childhood.
UNICEF said the survey findings are representative of internet-using children rather than all children, particularly in countries with lower internet connectivity.
