UNICEF: 1 in 5 Children Experienced Technology-Facilitated Sexual Abuse as Online Risks Surge
A new UNICEF report reveals that nearly one in five children aged 12 to 17 suffered from at least one type of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse in one year in 21 countries.
Through Children’s Eyes: How Digital Technologies Enable Child Sexual Abuse, estimates that approximately 20 million children were impacted, and identifies the increasing safeguarding risks in digital environments where children learn, play and communicate.
UNICEF discovered that over 15 million children viewed unwanted sexual material and approximately 9 million children were coerced into having sexual conversations or into sharing sexual images. Another 4 million had sexual images of themselves shared without their consent.
Almost 60 per cent of the experiences were reported on social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp. Another 14 per cent. was played online.
The results also contradict the notion that perpetrators are typically strangers. Some 57 per cent of cases were perpetrators known to the child, such as peers, friends, romantic partners or family members, and 38 per cent were perpetrators the child had first met online.
UNICEF also noted that underreporting is prevalent. Over 40 per cent of children with effects did not report them to anyone, and less than 1 per cent of cases were reported to authorities.
The report also revealed that children who were abused by technology were four times more likely to report suicidal thoughts or behaviours, self-harm, and increased anxiety.
UNICEF is urging governments, technology providers, schools, families and communities to increase the protection of children online, improve reporting systems and provide more support to make online platforms safer.
