Digital technologies fuel child sexual abuse globally

by MTHULISI SIBANDA 
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – AN estimated 20 million children aged 12 to 17 were subjected to at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse in a single year across 21 countries globally.

This is according to a report released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Thursday (today).

Titled “Through Children’s Eyes: How Digital Technologies Enable Child Sexual Abuse”, it combines children’s testimonies with one of the largest bodies of available survey data to warn of a widespread trend of child sexual abuse and exploitation – online and offline – enabled by technology.

The report estimates that over 15 million children were exposed to unwanted sexual content, 9 million were asked to engage in sexual conversations or share sexual images against their will, and 4 million children had sexual images of themselves shared without their consent.

However, the true scale of the issue is likely far higher due to underreporting by children.

“The report reveals a painful reality,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

She lamented, “These experiences cause profound emotional and mental distress. Many children suffer in silence, unsure where to turn for help. We cannot look away.”

According to the findings, nearly 60 per cent of cases took place on social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and WhatsApp, and 14 per cent of cases happened in online games, with the platforms’ features, functions and design used to exploit trust.

The report calls for urgent action to make digital platforms safer by design, with stronger privacy protections for children, restrictions on unsolicited contact from adults, safer recommender systems and better detection and reporting of abuse.

It calls for strengthening of laws, regulation and accountability, ensuring governments have the tools and enforcement measures to address evolving forms of abuse, including sexual extortion and AI-generated sexual abuse material.

“All of us, including governments and technology companies, must do more to protect children online,” Russell advised.

– CAJ News