Around 20 million children across 21 countries are subjected to online sexual exploitation and abuse every year, according to a new UNICEF research report released Thursday.
The report is based on a survey of nearly 21,000 children in 21 countries, including Kenya, Pakistan, Brazil and Serbia, conducted between 2020 and 2025.
UNICEF said one in five children aged 12 to 17 in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe experienced online sexual harassment or exploitation in the past year. About 15 million children were exposed to unwanted sexual content. Nine million were coerced into sending sexual conversations or images. And 4 million children had personal images shared without their consent.
About 60% of all such abuse occurred on popular social media platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. Another 14% occurred on online gaming platforms. At least 1.1 million children were also harassed through AI-generated images or videos.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said such experiences have a devastating impact on children’s mental and emotional wellbeing, but most children suffer in silence due to a lack of support and fear of social stigma.
The survey found that children who experienced online abuse were nearly four times more likely to report suicidal thoughts and psychological distress than other children. Yet fewer than 1% of cases were reported to police or child helplines.
UNICEF has called on the international community to strengthen children’s online safety and enact new laws governing the use of AI.