# Global technology-facilitated child sexual abuse

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/global-technology-facilitated-child-sexual-abuse
> Updated: 2026-09-09T12:16:19.000Z. Sources: 25. Developments: 2.

A Unicef report titled ‘Through Children’s Eyes: How Digital Technologies Enable Child Sexual Abuse’ estimates that 20 million children and adolescents across 21 countries experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse annually. The findings show that 15 million children were exposed to unwanted sexual content, 9 million were coerced into sexual conversations or image sharing, and 4 million had sexual images leaked without consent. Social media platforms account for roughly 60% of reported violations, while online gaming environments represent 14%. Notably, 57% of reported cases involved known individuals, such as family members or friends.

Specific data from a study titled ‘Disrupting Harm’—conducted by UNICEF, ECPAT International, and INTERPOL—highlights the Dominican Republic as having the highest prevalence among the 15 countries researched. In the Dominican Republic, 23% of internet users aged 12 to 17, approximately 272,000 adolescents, experienced technology-facilitated sexual violence in the last year. In 68% of these Dominican cases, the perpetrator was an acquaintance. 

Across the research, reporting remains critically low. In the Dominican Republic, less than 1% of cases were reported to the National Police. Experts suggest the true scale of the issue may be higher due to barriers such as shame, fear, and a lack of knowledge regarding assistance mechanisms.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-09: Dominican Republic reports high rates of technology-facilitated sexual abuse among adolescents

A UNICEF-led study finds that 23% of adolescents in the Dominican Republic experienced technology-facilitated sexual abuse in the past year, the highest rate among 15 studied nations.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/dominican-republic-reports-high-rates-of-technology-facilitated-sexual-abuse-among-adolescents

### 2026-09-05: Unicef report: 20 million children face digital sexual abuse annually

A Unicef report finds 20 million children globally face technology-facilitated sexual abuse annually, with 60% of incidents occurring on social media and 57% involving known individuals.

18 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/unicef-reports-20-million-children-face-online-sexual-exploitation-annually

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Cite as: Global technology-facilitated child sexual abuse. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/global-technology-facilitated-child-sexual-abuse