Archive · 3 Sep 2026
UNICEF Estimates 20 Million Children Suffered Online Sexual Abuse
UNICEF studied online experiences of about 21,000 children in 21 countries.
It estimated that around 20 million children experienced sexual abuse or exploitation online during one year.
Many children saw unwanted sexual material or were pressured to have sexual conversations or share pictures.
Some had private sexual images shared without permission.
Most reported incidents happened on social media, although some occurred in online games.
More than half of the children knew the person involved.
Very few cases were reported to adults or authorities.
UNICEF said these experiences can cause anxiety, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
It wants governments and technology companies to improve online safety and reporting systems.
UNICEF estimated that about 20 million internet-using children in 21 countries experienced sexual exploitation or abuse in one year.
Roughly 15 million children encountered unwanted sexual content, 9 million faced sexual pressure, and 4 million had sexual images shared without consent.
Nearly 60% of reported abuse occurred on social media, while 14% took place in online gaming.
More than half of cases involved someone the child already knew, and fewer than 1% were reported to authorities or helplines.
UNICEF said about 1.1 million children in nine countries reported AI-generated sexual images or videos depicting them.
- Who
- About 20 million internet-using children aged 12 to 17 across 21 surveyed countries, according to UNICEF.
- What
- They experienced at least one form of online sexual exploitation or abuse, including unwanted sexual content, sexual pressure and non-consensual image sharing.
- When
- The research covered the year before each child was surveyed; national surveys were collected between 2020 and 2025.
- Where
- Across 21 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe, including Kenya, Pakistan, Brazil and Serbia.
- Why
- UNICEF said stronger platform safeguards, updated laws and better child-protection and reporting systems are needed to address the abuse.
UNICEF and Child-Safety Concerns
Technology Companies’ Responses
Scale and platform responsibility
UNICEF and Child-Safety Concerns
UNICEF estimated that online sexual exploitation affected about 20 million children and urged technology companies to strengthen safety measures and reporting systems.
Technology Companies’ Responses
Meta said the surveys included data from before it introduced protections such as private-by-default teen accounts and restrictions on adult messaging; it also disputed classifying WhatsApp as a social media platform.
Evidence and enforcement
UNICEF and Child-Safety Concerns
UNICEF highlighted the scale of reported abuse and called for updated laws addressing evolving threats, including AI-generated sexual content.
Technology Companies’ Responses
Meta said the report did not provide specific evidence of abuse and said it would continue combating child exploitation and supporting law enforcement. Snapchat and TikTok described detection tools, account removals, reporting features and safeguards for minors.
- Estimated affected children
- About 20 million internet-using children across 21 countries in one year.
- Study sample
- Around 21,000 internet-using children surveyed through nationally representative research.
- Unwanted content
- Roughly 15 million children were exposed to unwanted sexual content.
- Sexual pressure
- About 9 million children were pressured into sexual conversations or sharing sexual images.
- Images shared without consent
- Around 4 million children had sexual images shared without their consent.
- Main platforms
- Almost 60% of reported abuse occurred on social media; 14% occurred in online gaming.
- AI-generated abuse
- An estimated 1.1 million children in nine countries reported AI-generated sexual images or videos depicting them.
- Reporting rate
- Fewer than 1% of cases were reported to police, social workers or helplines.