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Nearly 1 in 16 internet-using children aged 12 to 17 in Pakistan experienced at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse in a single year, affecting approximately 1.5 million children, according to a new UNICEF-backed report.
The findings were released in Islamabad with the launch of a report “Disrupting Harm in Pakistan: Evidence on Technology-Facilitated Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.” The study was conducted by UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence – Innocenti, ECPAT International and INTERPOL, with funding from Safe Online.
The research is based on a nationally representative survey of children and their parents and caregivers, interviews with frontline and justice professionals, and an assessment of Pakistan’s laws and policies to examine the scale and nature of technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse in the country.
The report documents several forms of technology-facilitated abuse, including unwanted sexual images or conversations, requests for intimate images, the non-consensual sharing of children’s images, sexual blackmail and threats, as well as AI-generated fake sexual images and videos.
“The digital world should be a safe space for children.”
UNICEF Representative in Pakistan Pernille Ironside said stronger systems were needed to prevent abuse and hold perpetrators and digital platforms accountable.
“We must shift from asking children simply to avoid risks to building stronger systems that prevent abuse and hold perpetrators and digital platforms accountable.”
The report found that technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse often remains hidden. More than half of children who experienced such abuse did not tell anyone, while none of the children surveyed reported the incidents through formal channels such as helplines, social workers or police.
Researchers attributed the silence partly to community stigma, victim-blaming and a lack of trust in law enforcement. The report calls for safe, confidential and accessible mechanisms through which children can seek help and protection.
“The survey shows girls and boys in Pakistan have been subjected to technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse at similar rates, but their experiences can differ significantly. For boys, stigma and expectations around masculinity can mean they are overlooked as victims and discouraged from speaking about what happened. Recognizing and responding to boys’ unique experiences must be part of effective child protection,” Andrea Varrella, Head of Programme: Justice and Child Rights, ECPAT International.
One of the report’s key findings challenges the perception that online child abuse is primarily a “stranger danger” issue.
In 85 per cent of incidents cited by children in the report, the perpetrator was someone the child already knew, challenging the perception of online abuse as primarily a “stranger danger” risk. Social media platforms accounted for 44 per cent of reported instances of abuse, making it the most commonly reported digital environment in the research. The report also identifies evolving risks, including sexual extortion, blackmail, and AI-generated sexual abuse material.
The research found that boys and girls in Pakistan experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse at similar rates, although the nature of their experiences and barriers to reporting can differ.
ECPAT International’s Andrea Varrella said boys may face additional pressure because of social expectations surrounding masculinity.
“For boys, stigma and expectations around masculinity can mean they are overlooked as victims and discouraged from speaking about what happened.”
She stressed that addressing boys’ specific experiences must form part of effective child-protection efforts.
By identifying legal and institutional gaps alongside the lived experiences of children and survivors, the research provides actionable recommendations to improve prevention, reporting, victim support, and criminal justice responses.
“The findings from Disrupting Harm Pakistan highlight the urgent need to strengthen protection for children facing technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse.”
INTERPOL Crimes Against Children Unit Head Mark Beavan said the research identifies gaps in law, institutions and support systems and provides recommendations for improving prevention, reporting, victim support and criminal-justice responses.
These findings can support law enforcement and key stakeholders in strengthening national responses, in line with INTERPOL’s global efforts to combat crimes against children. Strengthening collaboration across sectors will be essential to ensuring technological advances are not exploited at the expense of children’s safety,” Mark Beavan, Head of INTERPOL Crimes Against Children Unit, said. INTERPOL said the findings point to the need for stronger legal, institutional and cross-sector responses.
The report also calls for stronger regulation and accountability for digital platforms, safety-by-design measures, child-sensitive justice systems and improved cooperation between government agencies, law enforcement and social services.
Ayesha Raza Farooq, Chairperson of Pakistan’s National Commission on the Rights of the Child, said the country already has an important legal foundation but needs stronger implementation. “The priority now is to ensure that these protections translate into action. “She said children and families must be able to access justice and that cases should be handled in a “child-sensitive and dignified manner.”
Safe Online Executive Director Marija Manojlovic said the organization’s $15 million investment across 25 countries aims to turn evidence into action against technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse.
UNICEF has called for coordinated action involving government, law enforcement, justice and social services, schools, families, communities and digital platforms, stressing that responsibility for children’s online safety cannot rest on children alone.
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