UNICEF report says 1.5 million Pakistani children faced online sexual abuse

About 1.5 million children aged 12 to 17 in Pakistan experienced online sexual abuse in a single year, according to UNICEF's Disrupting Harm in Pakistan report, launched in Islamabad on Sept. 3. The study with ECPAT International and INTERPOL found that 74 percent of children that age use the internet, that 85 percent of perpetrators were known to the children, that 71 percent of victims told no one, and that none of the surveyed children reported abuse through police, helplines or social workers. Advocates said roughly 44 percent of reported cases occurred entirely online, citing Snapchat and WhatsApp. AFP quoted 17-year-old Zara, name changed for safety, on a stranger met in an online game who demanded intimate images and threatened to expose her to her family after she refused; Lead author Daniel Kardefelt said abuse can begin with friendly conversation, gaming, or promises of gifts or romance. On Sept. 1 the Punjab Assembly unanimously recommended legal restrictions on under-16 social media use. Digital rights activist Usama Khilji said a ban would be hard to enforce and children could use VPNs. A companion report estimated 20 million children across 21 countries affected.