20 million children faced online sexual abuse in a year, Unicef finds

Unicef estimates that 20 million children across 21 countries experienced online sexual abuse or exploitation in a single year, with most cases occurring on social media platforms, according to a report released Thursday. The study, based on surveys of 21,000 internet-using children aged 12 to 17, found that 15 million were exposed to unwanted sexual content, 9 million were pressured into sexual conversations, and 4 million had sexual images shared without consent. Nearly 60 percent of abuse occurred on platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, with 14 percent in online gaming. Fewer than 1 percent of cases were reported to authorities, and an estimated 1.1 million children had AI-generated sexual images created of them. Victims were four times more likely to report suicidal thoughts, prompting Unicef to urge stronger platform safeguards and updated laws.