1 IN 5 TEENS FACE ONLINE SEXUAL ABUSE

The global study highlights the scale of online abuse targeting minors aged 12 to 17. Over half of documented abuse occurred on mainstream social media platforms, underscoring the role of widely-used services in facilitating harm. Despite the prevalence of these experiences, reporting remains critically low. Less than 1% of victims reported incidents to authorities, suggesting significant barriers to disclosure and intervention. The findings point to a substantial protection gap in child online safety. While platforms host the majority of abuse, the minimal reporting rate indicates either inadequate awareness of reporting mechanisms, fear of consequences, or insufficient trust in authorities. UNICEF's data comes amid ongoing debates about tech platform accountability and child protection policies. The survey underscores the need for improved reporting infrastructure, better platform safety measures, and support systems for affected youth across all 21 surveyed nations.