UNICEF has warned that more than 20 million children aged 12 to 17 across 21 countries experienced sexual exploitation or abuse involving technology, with social media platforms accounting for nearly 60% of recorded cases.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report released on Thursday revealed 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.
A further four million had sexual images of themselves shared without their consent.
UNICEF said the figures were likely to be much higher, highlighting what it described as a growing threat to children using digital platforms to learn, play and communicate.
“The report reveals a painful reality,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said. “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.”
Nearly 60% of recorded cases occurred on social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp, while 14% took place on online games.
The report said some features on digital platforms could be exploited to build trust with children or conceal perpetrators' identities.
About 38% of children first encountered their perpetrators online. But in 57% of cases, the alleged perpetrators were people the children already knew, including peers, friends and family members.
The abuse was also linked to serious consequences for children's mental and emotional wellbeing.
Children who experienced technology-aided sexual exploitation were four times more likely to report suicidal thoughts or behaviours and self-harm, and also reported significantly higher levels of anxiety.
In Pakistan, the risk of self-harm was more than seven times higher among children who had experienced exploitation.
Children interviewed for the report described feelings of fear, shame, confusion and isolation.
“I didn’t know how to react…I felt a little in shock,” a young woman from the Dominican Republic said after private images of her were circulated without her consent when she was 14.
Despite the scale of the problem, many cases never reach authorities.
More than 40% of cases of technology-facilitated abuse were never shared with anyone, while fewer than 1% were reported to authorities. UNICEF said one of the most common reasons was that children did not know who to tell.
“These experiences cause profound emotional and mental distress,” Russell said. “Many children suffer in silence, unsure where to turn for help. We cannot look away.”
UNICEF is calling on technology companies to strengthen safeguards for children and improve reporting systems, while urging governments to strengthen accountability and enforcement.
It also called for action against harmful gender norms that normalise the sexualisation of girls and stigmatise survivors.
“All of us, including governments and technology companies, must do more to protect children online,” Russell said.