Nearly one in 16 internet-using children aged 12-17 in Pakistan experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse, equating to about 1.5 million victims, a new UNICEF-backed study reveals.

Nearly 1.5 million Pakistani children aged 12 to 17 experienced at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse in a single year, according to a report by UNICEF’s Office of Research – Innocenti, ECPAT International and INTERPOL. The figure equates to roughly one in every 16 internet-using children in that age group and underscores a hidden crisis in a country where digital access is rapidly expanding.

The report, Disrupting Harm in Pakistan: Evidence on Technology-Facilitated Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, was launched in Islamabad in early September 2026 with Pakistan’s National Commission on the Rights of the Child. Funded by Safe Online, it draws on a nationally representative household survey of children and caregivers, interviews with frontline professionals and a review of laws and policies. It is described as the most comprehensive evidence to date on the issue in Pakistan.

Scale of the Crisis and Forms of Abuse

Around 74 per cent of Pakistani children aged 12 to 17 use the internet, according to UNICEF estimates. Within this growing digital population, the survey found that nearly 6 per cent had been subjected to tech-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse in the past year. Forms of harm documented include unwanted sexual images or conversations, requests to share images of private parts, the non-consensual sharing of children’s images, threats or blackmail involving sexual content, and the use of artificial intelligence to create fake images or videos of children.

Sexual extortion, blackmail and AI-generated material emerge as evolving risks. Perpetrators often exploit power imbalances, economic vulnerability and children’s fear of blame or exposure. In many cases the abuse begins innocently – a friendly chat, an online game or promises of gifts, money or romance – before escalating. Offenders may spend months building trust using information harvested from social media.

Known Perpetrators, Not Strangers

Contrary to the common “stranger danger” narrative, 85 per cent of perpetrators were already known to the children. Social media platforms accounted for 44 per cent of reported instances, making them the most common digital environment for abuse. Snapchat and WhatsApp featured prominently among the settings cited by survivors and frontline workers.

A 17-year-old girl described how a stranger approached her during an online game. The conversation turned friendly, then coercive. When she refused to send intimate photos, the man threatened to locate her family online and expose their exchanges. “I was, and am, scared,” she said. “I live in fear.” For many girls, sexual extortion carries the additional risk of restricted mobility or withdrawal from school.

Silence Driven by Stigma and Fear

The report highlights how deeply the problem remains hidden. More than half of the children who experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse told no one. None of those surveyed reported the incidents through formal channels such as police, helplines or social workers. In Pakistan, 71 per cent of victims remained silent, citing stigma, shame and fear of family or societal reactions.

Girls and boys experience abuse at similar rates, yet the consequences differ. For boys, expectations around masculinity and stigma can leave them overlooked as victims and discouraged from speaking out. Community attitudes that shift blame onto the child rather than the perpetrator further entrench silence.

This pattern of under-reporting mirrors broader challenges in child protection across Pakistan. Related reporting on the country’s child rights landscape has repeatedly flagged gaps in responding to violence, including sexual abuse and online harm.

Legal Gaps and Weak Enforcement

Pakistan possesses a legal framework addressing technology-facilitated offences against children, yet experts point to significant implementation failures and outdated language. The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act still uses the term “child pornography” for child sexual abuse material – an outdated phrasing that can minimise the gravity of the crime. Legislation does not systematically require forensic interviews of children to be conducted by specially trained professionals, raising the risk of secondary victimisation.

Tahira Afrasiyab of the non-profit Muslim Hands stated there is “no implementation.” Human rights lawyer Salman Afridi described a commercial ecosystem of exploitation in which economic vulnerability is weaponised, sometimes for sums as small as Rs 10,000 in exchange for the production of sexual content. The chain includes grooming, inducement, coercion, blackmail, production, distribution and commercialisation.

In Punjab province, authorities recently passed a resolution seeking to bar children under 16 from social media. Digital rights activist Usama Khilji opposed the measure, arguing it would be difficult to enforce, could be circumvented by VPNs and would restrict children’s freedom of expression. Non-governmental organisations and lawyers emphasise that blanket bans are no substitute for stronger prevention, platform accountability and child-sensitive justice systems.

Calls for Systemic Action

UNICEF Representative in Pakistan Pernille Ironside stressed that the digital world must become a safe space for children. “We must shift from asking children simply to avoid risks to building stronger systems that prevent abuse and hold perpetrators and digital platforms accountable,” she said. National Commission on the Rights of the Child Chairperson Ayesha Raza Farooq has called for legislative reforms, trauma-informed reporting mechanisms, accessible psychosocial support and greater awareness among children, parents and teachers.

INTERPOL’s Mark Beavan underlined the need for collaboration across sectors so that technological advances are not exploited at the expense of children’s safety. 

The findings sit within a wider global picture. A companion UNICEF Innocenti report covering 21 countries estimated that nearly 20 million internet-using children aged 12-17 experienced at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse in a single year. Pakistan’s prevalence rate is lower than the multi-country average, yet the absolute number of affected children remains stark.