Last Updated on September 21, 2026 by Jeff Tomas
LAHORE, Pakistan – A staggering new report has revealed a hidden crisis unfolding across digital screens in Pakistan. In just a single year, an estimated 1.5 million Pakistani children faced sexual exploitation and abuse online. As access to the internet explodes across the country, the digital world is becoming a dangerous place for many young users.
The findings come from “Disrupting Harm in Pakistan,” a comprehensive study backed by UNICEF. The report paints a troubling picture of how technology is being weaponized against vulnerable youth. With nearly three-quarters of children aged 12 to 17 now using the internet, the scale of the problem is massive, and growing fast.
Key Takeaways
- Massive Scale: Around 1.5 million internet-using children in Pakistan aged 12-17 experienced tech-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse in a single year.
- A Culture of Silence: Stigma and fear keep victims quiet, with 71% of affected children in Pakistan telling no one about the abuse.
- Familiar Platforms: Nearly half of all reported abuse happens entirely online, mostly on popular apps like Snapchat and WhatsApp.
For many children, the internet is a place to learn, play, and connect with friends. But for an estimated one in 16 internet-using kids in Pakistan, it has become a space of fear and exploitation. The UNICEF report highlights that the danger isn’t just from strangers lurking in dark corners of the web.
In a shocking 85 percent of the incidents cited by children, the perpetrator was someone they already knew. This challenges the common “stranger danger” narrative and shows how easily trust can be manipulated online. The abuse can take many forms, from unwanted sexual images and pressure to share private photos, to outright threats and blackmail.
Predators Hiding in Plain Sight
The methods used by predators are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Daniel Kardefelt, the lead author of the global UNICEF report, explained how the grooming process often begins. “The abuse may start with a friendly conversation, a gaming interaction, a promise of gifts, money or romance,” he noted.
Perpetrators often spend months building a false sense of trust. They use information gleaned from social media to connect with their victims. Once trust is established, the demands begin, often leading to a cycle of coercion and fear that children feel they cannot escape.
One of the most alarming findings of the report is the profound silence surrounding this issue. In Muslim-majority Pakistan, a staggering 71 percent of victims chose not to tell anyone about the abuse they suffered. Even more concerning, not a single child surveyed reported the abuse through formal channels, such as the police, helplines, or social workers.
This silence is deeply rooted in the cultural context. Stigma, shame, and the intense fear of how their families or society might react keep children quiet. The fear of victim-blaming is a powerful deterrent, forcing children to carry the burden of abuse alone.
The Unique Risks for Girls
While both boys and girls are targeted, girls in Pakistan’s conservative society face unique and heightened risks. Sexual extortion can have devastating real-world consequences for them. The threat of exposure can lead to severe restrictions on their daily lives.
Families, fearing for their honor, might restrict a girl’s mobility or even withdraw her from school entirely. This makes the threat of blackmail incredibly potent. For many girls, enduring the abuse in silence feels like the only way to protect their future and their family’s reputation.
The story of 17-year-old Zara Shah (name changed for safety) illustrates this heartbreaking reality. Zara was targeted by a stranger she met while playing a computer game online. What started as casual chatting quickly escalated.
“He began acting like a friend,” Zara recalled. “Later, he wanted to meet and, after, started asking me for nudes”. For Zara, the mere threat of her family finding out was enough to ensure her silence. “I could have been stopped from going to school or leaving the house altogether,” she explained. “Staying quiet felt like the better option than speaking up. But anxiety kills me every day”.
The Role of Social Media Apps
The platforms where this abuse occurs are the very same ones children use every day. According to Mehek Naeem, director of PAHCHAAN, a Lahore-based children’s rights organization, “Around 44 percent of reported abuse was entirely online, with Snapchat and WhatsApp among the most common settings”.
The private, ephemeral nature of these messaging apps makes them attractive to perpetrators. They offer a space where abuse can happen hidden from the view of parents and authorities. This puts significant pressure on tech companies to do more to protect their youngest users.
Addressing this crisis requires a hard look at Pakistan’s legal framework. Currently, there are significant gaps that allow perpetrators to act with near impunity. The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) is the primary legislation dealing with cybercrime, but experts say it falls short when it comes to protecting children.
For example, PECA still uses the outdated term ‘child pornography’. Child protection advocates argue this terminology is harmful because it implies the material is a form of pornography, rather than documented evidence of child sexual abuse. Furthermore, the laws often lack the necessary nuance to handle complex cases of online grooming and extortion effectively.
The Need for Trauma-Informed Justice
Even when cases are brought forward, the justice system itself can be traumatizing for children. Pakistani legislation does not currently mandate that forensic interviews of children be systematically conducted by specially trained professionals.
This lack of specialized training increases the risk of secondary victimization. Children who have already endured horrific abuse may face insensitive or inappropriate questioning from authorities, making the process of seeking justice almost as painful as the abuse itself.
The launch of the Disrupting Harm report in Islamabad brought these issues to the forefront. Ayesha Raza Farooq, Chairperson of the National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC), emphasized that the very technologies meant to empower children are increasingly being used to harm them.
She called for urgent legislative reforms and the creation of child-centered, trauma-informed reporting mechanisms. There is a critical need for accessible psychosocial support for survivors, and a massive push for greater awareness among children, parents, and teachers.
UNICEF Pakistan Representative Pernille Ironside echoed these sentiments, stating firmly that the digital world must be a safe space for children. She called for stronger systems to prevent abuse and hold both perpetrators and digital platforms accountable.
The responsibility cannot fall on children alone. It requires a multi-sectoral approach. As Rabeea Hadi, Director General of the Child Protection Institute, noted, this means combining case management and psychosocial support with robust, community-level prevention efforts. Only through coordinated action can we hope to protect the millions of children navigating the complex and often dangerous digital landscape.
