A new global report has put a staggering number behind a problem parents and child-safety advocates have long warned about. According to a new UNICEF study, roughly 20 million internet-using children across 21 countries experienced some form of sexual exploitation or abuse on digital platforms in a single year — and the true global figure is almost certainly far higher.
The Scale of the Problem
Released Thursday, the UNICEF report found that more than one in five children aged 12 to 17 across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe experienced at least one form of online sexual abuse or exploitation in the year before being surveyed. The research is described by UNICEF as one of the largest studies of its kind, drawing on nationally representative surveys of roughly 21,000 internet-using children across 21 countries, including Pakistan, Kenya, Brazil, and Serbia, collected between 2020 and 2025.
Breaking down the 20 million figure: approximately 15 million children were exposed to unwanted sexual content, 9 million were pressured into sexual conversations or sharing sexual images, and 4 million had sexual images shared without their consent. UNICEF was clear that these numbers, drawn from the surveyed countries alone, mean the true global total almost certainly reaches into the tens of millions.
Where the Abuse Is Happening
Nearly 60% of reported abuse occurred on social media platforms, with Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok most frequently named, while 14% occurred in online gaming environments. The report also found that more than half of cases involved someone the child already knew — friends, relatives, or romantic partners — while 38% of children first encountered the person responsible online.
A New and Growing Threat: AI-Generated Abuse
The report flagged a troubling emerging pattern tied to artificial intelligence. Across nine of the surveyed countries, an estimated 1.1 million children reported that AI-generated sexual images or videos had been created depicting them — a stark signal that generative AI tools are already being misused to create harmful content targeting minors, adding a new dimension to a problem child-safety systems weren’t built to handle.
How Tech Companies Are Responding
Several of the platforms named in the report addressed the findings directly. A Meta spokesperson noted that the surveys stretch back to 2020, predating protections the company has since introduced, such as automatically defaulting teen accounts to private and preventing unconnected adults from messaging teens, and said the company would continue working with law enforcement on prosecutions. Snapchat pointed to its ongoing work combating online sexual extortion through proactive detection and account removal, while TikTok said it has built safeguards including private-by-default accounts for under-18 users and detection systems aimed at identifying predatory behavior.
The Reporting Gap
Perhaps the most alarming statistic in the entire report: fewer than 1% of cases were ever reported to police, a social worker, or a helpline. That gap points to a deep, systemic problem — most affected children are navigating this experience with little to no support reaching them, whether from fear, shame, confusion about where to turn, or simply not recognizing what happened as reportable abuse.
The Mental Health Toll
The report’s findings on mental health impact were especially sobering. Children who experienced tech-facilitated sexual exploitation were found to be around four times more likely to report suicidal thoughts or self-harm, along with significantly higher levels of anxiety than their peers. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said these experiences cause profound emotional and mental distress, and that many children suffer in silence, unsure where to turn for help.
What UNICEF Is Calling For
UNICEF has urged governments and technology companies to strengthen safety measures across digital platforms, update laws to address evolving forms of abuse including AI-generated content, and improve child protection and reporting systems so that far more than 1% of cases actually reach someone who can help.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many children are affected by online sexual abuse, according to this report?
UNICEF estimates around 20 million internet-using children across the 21 surveyed countries experienced some form of online sexual exploitation or abuse in a single year, with the true global figure likely much higher.
Which platforms were most associated with reported abuse?
Nearly 60% of reported cases occurred on social media, most frequently on Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, with 14% occurring in online gaming environments.
Was Pakistan included in this research?
Yes. Pakistan was among the 21 countries included in UNICEF’s national surveys, alongside countries including Kenya, Brazil, and Serbia.
What is being done to address this problem?
UNICEF has called on governments and tech companies to strengthen platform safety measures, update laws to cover newer forms of abuse like AI-generated content, and significantly improve child protection and reporting systems.
If you are a parent, caregiver, or young person concerned about online safety or exploitation, reaching out to a trusted adult, a school counselor, or a local child protection helpline is an important first step — no one should have to navigate an experience like this alone, and support is available even when it’s hard to know where to start.
