UNICEF has warned that an estimated 20 million children aged between 12 and 17 almost one in five is subjected to at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse in a single year across 21 countries.
The findings, contained in a report, Through Children’s Eyes: How Digital Technologies Enable Child Sexual Abuse, expose the scale of sexual exploitation occurring through digital technologies and highlight how platforms designed to connect children with friends, access information and participate in entertainment can also be manipulated to facilitate abuse.
UNICEF indicated that the report combines testimonies from children with one of the largest available bodies of survey data on technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse, providing a picture of how digital technologies are enabling sexual abuse both online and in-person.
UNICEF estimates that more than 15 million children were exposed to unwanted sexual content, while approximately 9 million were asked to participate in sexual conversations or share sexual images against their will.
Another 4 million children had sexual images of themselves shared without their consent.
The organisation warned, however, that the figures represent only part of the problem because many children do not disclose their experiences or report them to authorities.
Nearly 60% of reported cases occurred on platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp, while 14% took place through online games.
According to UNICEF, perpetrators are exploiting features and functions built into digital platforms, including private messaging, fake accounts and other mechanisms that can facilitate direct contact to establish trust with children and subsequently exploit that relationship.
The pattern also challenges the widespread assumption that children are primarily exposed to sexual abuse online through interactions with unknown adults. Across the countries surveyed, 57% of cases involved someone the child already knew. These perpetrators included peers, romantic partners, friends, and family members.
At the same time, 38 % of children revealed that they first encountered the perpetrator online, demonstrating how digital platforms can also provide an entry point for individuals previously unknown to victims.
The effects on children can be particularly damaging. According to UNICEF, children who experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse described feelings of fear, shame, confusion and isolation during interviews. Many struggled to make sense of their experiences and did not know where to seek support.
The analysis found that children subjected to such abuse were four times more likely to report suicidal thoughts or behaviours and self-harm, while also reporting significantly higher levels of anxiety.
In Mexico and North Macedonia, the risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviours was more than eight times higher among children who had experienced abuse. In Pakistan, the risk of self-harm was more than seven times higher.
According to UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, the findings reflect a painful reality for millions of children.
“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.
“These experiences cause profound emotional and mental distress. Many children suffer in silence, unsure where to turn for help. We cannot look away.”
Catherine Russell
The findings are based 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 during childhood.
Because the survey sample included only children who use the internet, UNICEF cautioned that the findings represent internet-using children rather than all children, particularly in countries where internet connectivity remains limited.
Silence Leaves Millions of Children Without Support
One of the most troubling findings is the extent to which children remain silent after experiencing abuse.
More than 40% of cases of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse were never disclosed to anyone, according to UNICEF. Fewer than 1% were reported to authorities such as police, social workers, or helplines.
The most common reason children did not disclose their experiences globally was that they did not know where to go or whom to tell.
In Armenia, for example, more than half of cases were never shared with anyone.
The lack of disclosure means that the official response systems available to children may capture only a small proportion of the abuse taking place, potentially leaving large numbers of victims without protection, counselling or access to justice.
Rather than placing the burden primarily on children to recognise and avoid dangerous situations, UNICEF is urging governments, technology companies, families, schools and communities to strengthen the systems around them.
The report calls for digital platforms to be made safer by design, including stronger privacy protections for children, restrictions on unsolicited contact from adults, safer recommender systems and improved systems for detecting and reporting abuse.
It also calls for stronger laws, regulations and accountability mechanisms to enable governments to respond to emerging forms of exploitation, including sexual extortion and sexual abuse material generated through artificial intelligence.
UNICEF has separately warned that generative artificial intelligence is creating additional risks through tools capable of producing child sexual abuse material.
Beyond regulation and technology, UNICEF is calling for stronger reporting and support systems that children can trust.
This includes greater investment in child protection, health, justice and social services, alongside stronger responses from families, schools and communities when children disclose abuse.
The organisation also argues that wider social and economic vulnerabilities must be addressed, warning that perpetrators can exploit economic circumstances affecting children and families.
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