Is Your Child Safe Online? UNICEF Warns Parents About Growing Digital Risks

Online Safety for Children: UNICEF Warns Parents About Growing Digital Risk 

UNICEF Report Reveals the Scale of Online Abuse

UNICEF's report, “Through Children's Eyes: How Digital Technologies Enable Child Sexual Abuse,” combines nationally representative survey data with testimonies from young people who experienced abuse during childhood.

The research involved approximately 21,000 internet-using children aged 12 to 17 across 21 countries, along with detailed interviews with 100 young people who experienced abuse as children. The research forms part of the Disrupting Harm project, conducted by UNICEF together with ECPAT International and INTERPOL.

The findings estimate that more than 15 million children were exposed to unwanted sexual content, while around 9 million were pressured into sexual conversations or asked to share sexual images against their will. Approximately 4 million children had sexual images of themselves shared without their consent.

These figures should not be interpreted as representing every child worldwide. The survey covered internet-using children in the selected countries, meaning children without internet access were not included. UNICEF also warns that the real scale of the problem is likely larger because many children do not report what happened to them.

Social Media Has Become a Major Risk Area

One of the most important findings for parents is where these incidents occur.

Nearly 60 per cent of reported experiences took place on social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp. Around 14 per cent occurred in online games.

This does not mean that these platforms themselves are responsible for every incident or that every child using them is at risk of abuse. Instead, the findings show how features commonly found on digital platforms can sometimes be misused to target children.

Private messaging, fake accounts, recommendation systems and opportunities to communicate with people outside a child's immediate social circle can create opportunities for manipulation and exploitation.

UNICEF's broader online-safety guidance notes that perpetrators may use trust-building tactics before attempting to manipulate children into sharing personal or sexualised material.

For parents, this means that simply asking, “Who are you talking to?” may not be enough. Parents should also understand how their child's favourite apps work, what privacy controls are available and who can contact their child.

The Person Behind the Abuse May Not Be a Stranger

A common assumption is that online abuse mainly comes from anonymous strangers. UNICEF's findings challenge this belief.

Across the countries studied, 57 per cent of cases involved someone the child already knew, including friends, peers, romantic partners and family members. At the same time, 38 per cent of children first encountered the perpetrator online.

This is particularly important for parents because familiarity does not automatically mean safety.

A person who appears to be a friend, classmate or online acquaintance can still misuse a child's trust. Likewise, someone the child knows offline may use digital communication to pressure, manipulate or threaten them.

Parents therefore need to teach children an important lesson: online safety is about behaviour and boundaries, not simply whether a person is a stranger or someone familiar.

Fake Accounts and Private Messages Can Be Used to Build Trust

Digital platforms allow people to create accounts and communicate privately with relative ease. These features can be useful for ordinary communication, but they can also be exploited.

UNICEF's findings point to the role of fake accounts and private messaging in facilitating abuse. A person may attempt to establish trust first and gradually push conversations into inappropriate territory.

Children may not immediately recognise that a conversation has become unsafe. They may also worry that telling a parent will result in punishment, loss of internet access or embarrassment.

This is why parents should focus on building trust rather than creating fear.

Children should know that they can tell a trusted adult if someone online makes them uncomfortable, pressures them, asks for inappropriate images, threatens them or attempts to keep conversations secret.

Online Games Are Also Part of the Safety Conversation

Parents sometimes associate online safety mainly with social media. However, UNICEF found that around 14 per cent of reported cases occurred in online games.

Many games now include voice chat, text messaging, friend lists, live interaction and large online communities. These features make gaming more social, but they can also allow children to interact with people they do not know personally.

Parents do not necessarily need to stop children from gaming. Instead, they can learn about the games their children play and check:

• Who can send messages or friend requests.

• Whether voice chat can be disabled.

• Whether the child's profile is visible publicly.

• Whether strangers can join conversations.

• How children can block and report another player.

• Whether parental controls are available.

The goal should be to make gaming safer without treating every online interaction as dangerous.

More Than 40 Per Cent of Cases Were Never Reported

Perhaps one of UNICEF's most worrying findings is the level of silence surrounding online abuse.

More than 40 per cent of cases were never shared with anyone, while fewer than 1 per cent were reported to authorities, including police, social workers or helplines. UNICEF found that one of the most common reasons children remained silent was that they did not know where to go or whom to tell.

This is a crucial message for parents.

A child who experiences online abuse may not immediately ask for help. They may feel embarrassed, frightened, confused or responsible for what happened. Some may fear that their parents will become angry or take away their phone.

Therefore, parents should make it clear that asking for help will not lead to blame or punishment.

A simple message such as, “If anything online makes you uncomfortable, you can always tell me, and I will help you,” can make a significant difference.

Online Abuse Can Have Serious Emotional Consequences

The effects of technology-facilitated abuse can extend far beyond the digital incident itself.

UNICEF's analysis found that children who experienced such exploitation or abuse were four times more likely to report suicidal thoughts or behaviours and four times more likely to report self-harm. They also reported anxiety levels around 11 percentage points higher than their peers.

In some countries, the associations were even more concerning. UNICEF reported that the risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviours was more than eight times higher among affected children in Mexico and North Macedonia, while the risk of self-harm was more than seven times higher in Pakistan.

These findings do not mean that every child exposed to online abuse will experience the same consequences. However, they demonstrate why parents, schools and support services should take disclosures seriously.

Changes in behaviour can sometimes signal that a child is struggling. Parents may notice withdrawal, anxiety, changes in sleep, declining school performance, unusual secrecy around devices or reluctance to use an app they previously enjoyed.

These signs do not automatically mean that abuse has occurred. But they can be an opportunity to check in with the child in a calm and supportive way.

AI Is Creating New Digital Risks for Children

Artificial intelligence is adding another dimension to online child safety.

AI tools can generate or manipulate images, videos and audio with increasing realism. UNICEF has warned that generative AI can be misused to create sexualised material involving children and to manipulate ordinary photographs into harmful fabricated content.

In February 2026, UNICEF cited evidence from research across 11 countries indicating that at least 1.2 million children had disclosed having their images manipulated into sexually explicit deepfakes during the previous year.

This creates a new challenge for parents because a child may be harmed even when they never created or shared an explicit image themselves.

A normal photograph posted online can potentially be copied and manipulated. Parents should therefore discuss the importance of thinking carefully before posting or sharing photographs and personal information publicly.

At the same time, children should understand that if an image is manipulated or misused, the child is not responsible for the abuse.

Parents Should Teach Digital Boundaries, Not Just Digital Rules

Parental controls and screen-time limits can be useful, but technology alone cannot solve the problem.

Children also need to understand digital boundaries.

Parents can discuss simple principles such as:

Do not share private information unnecessarily. Children should be cautious about sharing their full name, school details, home address, phone number, passwords or location.

Do not accept every friend request. A profile photograph and friendly conversation do not prove that someone is who they claim to be.

Be careful with private conversations. Children should understand that moving a conversation into a private channel can sometimes make it harder for others to notice inappropriate behaviour.

Never respond to pressure with secrecy. If someone threatens, blackmails or pressures a child, the child should know that asking an adult for help is the right response.

Use blocking and reporting tools. Children should know how to block accounts and report inappropriate behaviour on the platforms they use.

Parents Should Avoid Blaming the Child

One of the most important lessons from UNICEF's findings is that children need supportive adults around them.

If a child discloses an uncomfortable online experience, the first response should not be anger or blame.

Questions such as “Why did you talk to that person?” or “Why did you send that?” can make children feel responsible and may discourage them from seeking help again.

Instead, parents can begin with reassurance:

“I am glad you told me.”

“You are not in trouble.”

“We will work out what to do together.”

The exact response will depend on the situation, but the underlying principle is important: the child's safety should come before punishment.

Parents Should Learn the Apps Their Children Use

Children often understand digital platforms better than their parents. That gap can create problems.

Parents do not need to become technology experts, but they should know the basics of the apps and games their children use.

This includes understanding privacy settings, messaging options, reporting systems, age requirements and parental controls.

UNICEF encourages parents and caregivers to strengthen their own digital literacy so that they can help children navigate online risks.

A useful approach is to ask children to show parents how an app works. This can turn online safety into a conversation rather than an interrogation.

Create a Family Online Safety Plan

Every family can establish a simple online safety plan.

It could include rules such as:

1. Children can tell a parent about uncomfortable online experiences without fear of immediate punishment.

2. Passwords should be kept private and strong security practices should be encouraged.

3. Children should know how to block and report accounts.

4. Personal information should not be shared publicly without considering the risks.

5. Parents and children should regularly review privacy settings.

6. Children should know which trusted adults they can contact if their parents are unavailable.

7. Parents should regularly discuss new apps, games and online trends.

The purpose of such a plan is not to monitor every conversation. It is to ensure that children have the knowledge and confidence to respond when something goes wrong.

What Should Parents Do If Their Child Reports Abuse?

If a child says something inappropriate happened online, parents should first listen calmly.

Do not immediately delete everything in panic. Depending on the situation, relevant information such as account names, messages, dates or other evidence may be important when reporting the incident.

Parents should consider using the platform's reporting tools and seek appropriate professional or law-enforcement assistance where necessary. If the child appears seriously distressed or at immediate risk of harming themselves, urgent professional support should be sought.

Most importantly, the child should not be made to feel responsible for the perpetrator's behaviour.

UNICEF's broader guidance emphasises the importance of trusted reporting and support systems so that children can seek assistance safely.

Technology Companies Also Have a Major Responsibility

The responsibility for child safety cannot be placed entirely on parents and children.

UNICEF has called for digital platforms to adopt safety-by-design approaches. This includes stronger privacy protections for children, restrictions on unsolicited contact from adults, safer recommendation systems and improved systems for detecting and reporting abuse.

Technology companies also need to respond to emerging threats such as AI-generated sexual abuse material and sexual extortion.

UNICEF's 2026 AI guidance similarly stresses the need for stronger safeguards as children increasingly encounter AI systems through everyday digital products.

Parents can encourage safer digital environments, but they cannot control how every platform is designed. Companies and governments therefore have an important role in making online services safer by default.

Governments Must Strengthen Laws and Child Protection Systems

UNICEF is also calling for stronger laws, regulation and accountability.

Technology changes quickly, while laws and enforcement systems can take much longer to adapt. New forms of abuse, including AI-generated material and technology-assisted sexual extortion, can create challenges for existing legal frameworks.

Governments need effective laws, trained law-enforcement personnel, child-protection services and accessible reporting systems.

UNICEF also stresses that families, schools and communities should share responsibility for protecting children rather than placing the burden entirely on children themselves.

The Biggest Protection Tool May Be an Open Conversation

The UNICEF findings provide a powerful reminder that online child safety is not simply about restricting phones.

Children will continue to use digital technologies for education, entertainment, communication and social interaction. The goal should therefore be to help them use these technologies safely.

Parents can begin with regular conversations.

Ask what apps children are using. Ask who they communicate with. Ask whether anyone has ever made them uncomfortable online. Explain that they can always seek help. Make sure they know how to block and report accounts.

Most importantly, listen without immediately judging.

When children believe their parents will support them rather than punish them, they may be more willing to speak when something goes wrong.

Conclusion: Keeping Children Safe Online Is a Shared Responsibility

UNICEF's latest report provides a serious warning about the risks children face in an increasingly digital world. With an estimated 20 million internet-using children aged 12 to 17 across 21 countries experiencing technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse in a single year, online child safety can no longer be treated as a minor parenting issue.

The findings also challenge several assumptions. The person involved is not always a stranger. Social media is not the only environment where risks exist. Online games can also be misused. And emerging technologies such as AI are creating new forms of digital harm.

For parents, however, the message should not be one of fear.

Children need the internet. They need technology for education, creativity, communication and participation in modern society. The answer is not simply to disconnect them from the digital world.

Instead, children need knowledge, privacy, healthy boundaries, supportive adults and safe digital environments.

Parents can play a crucial role by learning about the technologies their children use, discussing online risks openly, encouraging responsible digital behaviour and making sure children know that they can ask for help.

The responsibility, however, does not stop with families. Technology companies must design safer platforms, governments must strengthen laws and reporting systems, schools must provide digital-safety education, and communities must create environments in which children feel safe speaking about abuse.

The most important message for every child should be simple: If something online makes you feel unsafe, uncomfortable or pressured, you are not alone and it is not your fault. Tell a trusted adult and ask for help.

A safer digital childhood will require parents, children, schools, governments and technology companies to work together. UNICEF's latest findings make clear that the time to strengthen that protection is now.