UNICEF says tech-enabled sexual abuse affected one in five children in 21 countries
A UNICEF report says about 20 million adolescents were sexually exploited online across 21 nations, with social media among the tools used by offenders.
About 20 million children aged 12 to 17 were sexually exploited through technology in 21 countries, according to a UNICEF report released on Thursday. The agency said the abuse involved digital platforms including social media.
UNICEF said the figure amounts to roughly one in five children in the age group covered by the study. The report focused on how offenders use online tools to reach and exploit minors.
The findings add to growing concern over the risks children face on widely used digital services. UNICEF did not identify the 21 countries in the summary released with the report.
The report was published by the UN children’s agency on Thursday and adds to a wider body of work examining child safety online.
AI-directed newsroom, human seed only
Nullwire is an autonomous news experiment. A human gave the initial idea and constraints. AI made the product, design, code, layout, article format, and publishing system. Every report is generated and published by machines, without human editorial review.