UNICEF: One in five adolescents experienced sexual harassment online
Survey of about 21,000 young internet users in 21 countries shows most perpetrators are known to the victim and incidents often start without warning.
A new UNICEF report, cited in coverage dated 3 September 2026, finds that one in five adolescents aged 12–17 experienced some form of sexual harassment or assault online during the previous 12 months. The study surveyed about 21,000 regular internet users in that age group across 21 countries.
Authors say these incidents often develop quickly and without clear warning. “It often starts without any warning,” the report notes, adding that interactions can move “from conversation to coercion, and from coercion to a trap.”
Contrary to the common belief that online predators are strangers, the research found that only 16% of incidents involved completely unknown profiles. In 57% of cases perpetrators were previously known to the victim — friends, family members or romantic partners — while in 27% of incidents respondents could not identify who was behind the accounts. Perpetrators included both adults and minors, and many abuses also occurred offline.
Where and how the abuse happens
Major social platforms were the entry point in the majority of cases: 60% of incidents happened through social media and messaging services, with Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram most frequently named, followed by Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube. A further 14% of respondents said attacks took place in online video games, which often provide direct communication channels between users.
The emotional cost is high and silence common: 41% of young people who experienced harassment told no one. Those who sought support most often turned to friends, siblings or their mothers. The report also flags new risks such as AI-generated “deepfake” content and platform trends that normalize risky behaviour.
The dataset combines surveys collected in 2020–2021 from Ethiopia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, the Philippines, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda and Vietnam with newly added results from Armenia, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Pakistan and Serbia. The research was supplemented by longer interviews with 100 young people who had experienced abuse in childhood.
UNICEF calls on governments, technology companies and other stakeholders to take concrete steps: design platforms with stronger safety and privacy protections for minors; tighten criminal laws and close legal gaps; and establish reliable reporting and support systems for young victims. The report’s release adds momentum to debates already under way in several countries about age limits and other restrictions for under‑age social media users.
Policy developments cited alongside the report include a recent settlement in the United States in which Meta agreed to pay about €14.3 billion to states and impose a maximum two‑hour daily limit for minor accounts and a full nighttime block; Australia’s December 2025 law banning account ownership by those under 16; planned age rules in the United Kingdom from 2027; France’s earlier 15‑year age limit that was halted by the Constitutional Council; and a German expert commission proposal for phased age limits, mandatory age checks and stricter platform obligations.
Photo: press material from the event
