A new UNICEF report estimates that nearly one in five children aged 12 to 17 across 21 countries experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse in a single year.
Key facts
- •The report analyzed data from 21,000 internet-using children aged 12 to 17 across 21 countries.
- •Facebook accounted for 50% of the social media cases, followed by WhatsApp at 29%, Instagram at 24%, Snapchat at 13%, and TikTok at 12%.
- •Perpetrators often exploit platform features such as private messaging, fake accounts, and the ability to reconnect after being blocked.
- •UNICEF emphasizes that the actual scale of the issue is likely higher than reported due to widespread underreporting by victims.
A UNICEF report titled 'Through Children's Eyes: How Digital Technologies Enable Child Sexual Abuse' reveals that approximately 20 million children aged 12 to 17 were subjected to sexual exploitation or abuse facilitated by technology. The findings, based on surveys of 21,000 internet-using children across 21 countries, indicate that these incidents occur frequently on mainstream digital platforms. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell stated that these experiences cause significant emotional and mental distress for children.
By the numbers
Prevalence and Nature of Abuse
The report estimates that 15 million children were exposed to unwanted sexual content, 9 million were pressured into sexual conversations or image sharing, and 4 million had sexual images of themselves shared without consent. Nearly 60% of these cases occurred on social media, while 14% took place within online games. Platforms identified in the report include Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.
Perpetrators and Reporting
Contrary to the perception that online abuse is primarily committed by strangers, 57% of cases involved someone the child already knew, such as friends, family members, or romantic partners. In 38% of cases, the child first met the perpetrator online. The report notes that over 40% of cases were never disclosed to anyone, and fewer than 1% were reported to authorities, often because children did not know where to seek help.
Impact on Mental Health
The study found that children who experienced such abuse were four times more likely to report suicidal thoughts or behaviors and four times more likely to engage in self-harm. Additionally, anxiety levels were approximately 11 percentage points higher among affected children. UNICEF noted that while these findings demonstrate an association, they do not establish direct causation.
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