A study of internet-using children in 21 countries has revealed the scale of the risk of online sexual abuse and exploitation. UNICEF said nearly 20 million children aged 12-17 experienced such incidents through technology within a single year.
The findings were published in a report titled Seen Through Their Eyes: How Digital Technologies Facilitate Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. The study found that more than 15 million children encountered unwanted sexual content, while around 9 million were coerced into sexual conversations or sharing sexual images against their will. Images of approximately 4 million children were also shared without their consent.
Abuse occurred most often on social media platforms
Approximately 60 percent of technology-facilitated incidents occurred on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp. Online games accounted for 14 percent of the incidents.
Fifty-seven percent of perpetrators were people the children already knew. This group included peers, romantic partners, friends and family members. Thirty-eight percent of children encountered the perpetrator online for the first time; fake accounts and private messaging tools were among the methods that facilitated the abuse.
Severe effects on children’s mental health
According to the report, experiences of abuse seriously affected children’s emotional well-being, sense of safety and trust in others. The children who took part in the study described experiencing fear, shame, confusion and loneliness.
Children exposed to technology-facilitated sexual exploitation were four times more likely than other children to report suicidal thoughts or behavior and self-harm. Anxiety levels were also significantly higher in this group.
In Mexico and North Macedonia, the risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior among children exposed to abuse increased more than eightfold. In Pakistan, the risk of self-harm rose more than sevenfold.
Most children did not share what happened to them
More than 40 percent of the cases examined were not shared with anyone. Reports to authorities, police units, social workers or helplines accounted for less than 1 percent.
The most common reason children remained silent was that they did not know where to seek help or whom to tell about their experiences. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said all actors, including governments and technology companies, needed to take further steps to protect children online.
UNICEF calls on governments and companies to act
The report called on governments, technology companies and other stakeholders to strengthen children’s online safety. Its recommendations included stronger privacy measures, regulations limiting unauthorized contact between adults and children, safer content-recommendation systems, and improved mechanisms for detecting and reporting abuse.
UNICEF also called for stronger laws and enforcement mechanisms, effective reporting and support systems, and increased support for families, schools and communities.
Study covers internet users in 21 countries
The report is based on nationally representative surveys of approximately 21,000 internet-using children aged 12-17 in 21 countries. The study also included in-depth interviews with 100 young people who had experienced abuse during childhood.
UNICEF said the survey results represented internet-using children, rather than all children. It noted that this limitation should be taken into particular consideration in countries with lower levels of internet access.
