In Pakistan, 1.5 million children faced online sexual exploitation or abuse — Dawn

In Pakistan, around 1.5 million internet-using children aged 12 to 17 experienced at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse in a single year. This is nearly one child in 16, according to the Disrupting Harm in Pakistan study released in September 2026 by UNICEF, ECPAT International and Interpol, Dawn reports.

Abuse by people they know

In 85% of cases reported by children, the perpetrator was someone they already knew. Social media featured in 44% of reported cases and was the most common digital environment associated with such abuse.

The forms of abuse included unwanted sexualized images or conversations, requests for intimate photos, the sharing of images of children without their consent, sexual threats and blackmail. More than half of affected children did not tell anyone about what they experienced. None of the surveyed children reported such cases through official channels, including hotlines, social workers or the police.

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Fear, stigma and concerns about their family’s reaction may prevent children from seeking help. Boys may also remain overlooked because of social perceptions of masculinity and reluctance to talk about sexual abuse.

Risks of digital technologies

The UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, Najat Maalla M’jid, presenting her final report to the UN General Assembly, called on governments to strengthen child protection. According to her, the rapid development of technology, alongside opportunities for learning and communication, creates new risks.

She stated that artificial intelligence has opened “vast opportunities for the sexual exploitation of children” and also creates risks of cyberbullying, deepfakes and the involvement of children in criminal activity. The Pakistan study also points to gaps in legislation: forensic interviews with children are not systematically required to be assigned to specially trained professionals, which may increase the risk of retraumatization during investigations.