Key Points
- UNICEF says 20 million children aged 12 to 17 experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation across 21 countries.
- Nearly 60 per cent of cases occurred on social media platforms.
- More than 40 per cent of cases were never disclosed, while fewer than one per cent reached authorities.
Main Story
About 20 million children aged 12 to 17 across 21 countries experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation, according to a new report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The report, released on Thursday, said the figure represented about one in five children in the age group studied.
Social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp, accounted for nearly 60 per cent of recorded cases.
UNICEF said more than 15 million children were exposed to unwanted sexual content, while nine million were pressured into sexual conversations or sharing sexual images.
Another four million had sexual images of themselves distributed without their consent.
Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director, said the findings showed the scale of abuse occurring in digital spaces where children learn, play and communicate.
“More than 20 million children across the countries studied were subjected to unwanted explicit sexual content or exploitation online,” Russell said.
The Issues
The report found that online games were also used to facilitate abuse, accounting for 14 per cent of recorded exploitation cases.
According to UNICEF, perpetrators often exploited features of online platforms and games to build trust with children, while anonymity made it easier to carry out abuse.
The report said 38 per cent of children first encountered perpetrators online, while 57 per cent of cases across the 21 countries involved people known to the children, including peers, friends and family members.
In Montenegro, more than 80 per cent of reported exploitation cases involved social media platforms.
The effects extended beyond the immediate abuse. Children interviewed by researchers reported fear, shame, confusion and isolation, alongside damage to their emotional wellbeing, sense of safety and ability to trust others.
UNICEF said children who experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation were four times more likely to report suicidal thoughts, behaviours and self-harm.
The report also found significantly higher levels of anxiety among affected children, while Pakistan recorded more than seven times the risk of self-harm among exploited children.
What’s Being Said
“These experiences cause profound emotional and mental distress. Many children suffer in silence, unsure where to turn for help. We cannot look away,” Russell said.
“I didn’t know how to react. I felt a little in shock,” a young woman from the Dominican Republic said, recalling how private images of her were circulated without her consent when she was 14.
What’s Next
UNICEF said more than 40 per cent of technology-facilitated abuse cases were never disclosed, with fewer than one per cent reported to authorities.
The agency said children most commonly chose not to disclose abuse because they were uncertain about whom to tell.
Russell called on governments and technology companies to strengthen safeguards against sexual exploitation and abuse on digital platforms and ensure children have accessible channels for seeking help and reporting abuse.
Bottom Line
UNICEF says millions of children are being exposed to sexual exploitation through social media, online games and other digital spaces, while most cases remain undisclosed or unreported. The agency is calling for stronger protection measures from governments and technology companies.
