UNICEF: 20M kids face online sexual abuse

CEBU, Philippines —  About 20 million children aged 12 to 17 — or one in five across 21 countries — have experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse, according to a new report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The report, Through Children’s Eyes: How Digital Technologies Enable Child Sexual Abuse, combines children’s testimonies with one of the largest bodies of available survey data to warn of the widespread nature of child sexual abuse and exploitation — both online and offline — enabled by technology.

UNICEF said the report draws on evidence from two rounds of its Disrupting Harm research conducted across 21 countries.

The first round, with data collected primarily from 2020 to 2021, covered Cambodia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Philippines, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda and Vietnam.

The second round, conducted from 2024 to 2025, expanded the research to Armenia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Pakistan and Serbia.

The report estimates that more than 15 million children were exposed to unwanted sexual content, while nine million were asked to engage in sexual conversations or share sexual images against their will.

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

UNICEF warned, however, that the true scale of the problem is likely far higher due to underreporting by children.

According to the findings, nearly 60 percent of all recorded instances of exploitation occurred on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp, while 14 percent took place through online games.

The report said features of these platforms are often exploited to build trust and facilitate abuse.

Some 38 percent of children first encountered their perpetrators online, with evidence showing that abuse is often enabled by features that allow offenders to conceal their identities, including fake accounts and private messaging.

Across the 21 countries, 57 percent of exploitation cases involved perpetrators known to the children, including peers, friends and family members.

The report also highlighted the serious mental health consequences faced by victims.

Children who experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse were four times more likely to report suicidal thoughts or behaviors and self-harm. They also reported significantly higher levels of anxiety.

More than 40 percent of cases of technology-facilitated abuse were never disclosed to anyone, while fewer than one percent were reported to authorities such as the police, social workers or helplines.

The most common reason children remained silent was that they did not know where to go or whom to tell. (CEBU NEWS)