UNICEF reports that online sexual abuse and exploitation affects large numbers of young people, with more than one in five children aged 12 to 17 experiencing at least one form of sexual abuse or exploitation on online platforms within a one-year period.
The UN agency bases its estimate on a survey of about 21,000 young people, which it says indicates online sexual abuse of minors is on the rise. UNICEF’s findings cover multiple forms of harm, including unwanted exposure to sexual content, pressure to engage in sexual interactions, and the sharing of sexual images without consent.
Outlets describe the scale using similar figures: tens of millions of children globally are estimated to be affected each year. While the coverage varies in wording and emphasis—some highlight the “1 in 5” proportion, while others stress the total number of children— all refer to UNICEF’s survey results and the range of online sexual harms reported by adolescents.
