Islamabad: About 1.5 million children aged 12 to 17 who use the internet in Pakistan experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse in a single year, a new study says. That is nearly one in 16 internet users in this age group, or almost 6 percent.
The report, Disrupting Harm in Pakistan, was produced by UNICEF Innocenti, ECPAT International and INTERPOL, with funding from Safe Online. It was launched in Islamabad on September 3. The findings come from a nationally representative household survey of children and their caregivers, interviews with frontline and justice professionals, and a review of laws and policies.
A girl aged 17, identified by the pseudonym Zara Shah, told AFP that a stranger first approached her during an online game and slowly gained her trust. He later asked for nude images. When she refused, she said, he threatened to find her family and reveal their conversations.
Her account matches a pattern in the data. In about 85 percent of reported incidents, the perpetrator was someone the child already knew. Around 44 percent of reported abuse took place entirely online, with Snapchat and WhatsApp among the most common settings, according to Mehek Naeem of the children’s rights organisation PAHCHAAN.
Most victims stay silent. About 71 percent told no one, and none of the children surveyed reported the abuse to the police, a helpline or a social worker. Shame, stigma and fear of their families’ reaction were the main reasons. Girls may also risk being pulled out of school, having their phones taken or facing limits on their movement.
Daniel Kardefelt, the report’s lead author, said abuse can begin with a friendly chat, a gaming interaction, or a promise of gifts, money or romance. Perpetrators can spend months building trust. Family names, school details and location taken from a child’s social media accounts can later make threats more believable.
The report also points to weak spots in Pakistan’s child online protection system: limited public awareness, weak reporting mechanisms, too little law enforcement capacity, gaps in how existing laws are applied, and a shortage of child sensitive support services.
The Punjab Assembly has recently passed a resolution seeking limits on social media accounts for children under 16. Supporters say it would protect children from grooming, cyberbullying and exploitation. Digital rights activists question whether it can be enforced and warn it may restrict children’s access to information and freedom of expression.
UNICEF Representative in Pakistan Pernille Ironside said the focus should move from telling children to avoid risks to building systems that prevent abuse and hold perpetrators and digital platforms accountable.
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