Child online safety is now a global emergency, according to a new United Nations report on violence against children. The findings highlight how digital spaces have become a major new frontier of risk for young people worldwide.

The report, compiled by Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, will be submitted to the 81st session of the UN General Assembly this month. It marks 20 years since the UN’s original landmark study on violence against children, and warns that the world remains far from meeting its 2030 target to end such violence.

According to the report, one of the most profound transformations since 2005 has been the rapid expansion of violence against children in digital environments. Today, one in three internet users is a child, making child online safety an urgent global priority. While connectivity has opened doors to learning and social interaction, it has also created dangerous new avenues for exploitation.

These digital threats are wide-ranging. They include sexual exploitation and abuse, cyberbullying, and exposure to harmful content. In addition, children face risks from the promotion of suicide and self-harm, hate speech, and misinformation online. Privacy violations, fraud, and identity theft are also growing concerns. Furthermore, technology-facilitated crimes, such as trafficking and recruitment by criminal and armed groups, are on the rise. Emerging tools like artificial intelligence are compounding these dangers even further.

The scale of the problem is staggering. More than 300 million children fall victim to online sexual exploitation and abuse every year, the report found. Even more alarming, at least 1.2 million children reported having their images manipulated by artificial intelligence into sexually explicit deepfakes within the past year alone. This underscores how urgently stronger child online safety measures are needed.

A 2025 poll conducted by the Office of the Special Representative reinforces these concerns. Surveying over 30,000 children across all regions, the poll found that 66% believe cyberbullying has increased.

Beyond the digital realm, the report also points to other serious risks facing children. Nearly 19% of the world’s children now live in conflict zones, up from 10% in the 1990s. By the end of 2024, close to 50 million children had been displaced due to conflict and violence, with numbers nearly tripling since 2010. Climate change is compounding these dangers too, with 1.1 billion children now exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards.

Since 2019, the Special Representative has conducted 65 country visits, engaging with national authorities, 728 ministers and senior officials, and 96 local governments. She is preparing 10 more visits before the end of 2026.

In response to these mounting threats, the report calls for a comprehensive strategy built on prevention, protection, participation, and accountability. Specifically, it urges governments to strengthen child online safety through updated national strategies, stronger legal protections, and greater investment in child protection systems. It also emphasizes the need for better data, research, and meaningful participation from children themselves in shaping these policies.

The economic stakes are significant as well. The report estimates the global cost of lost human capital linked to children’s mental health conditions at $393 billion annually, much of it tied to unaddressed harms, including those from unsafe digital environments.

Ultimately, the report makes clear that strengthening child online safety is no longer optional. As digital risks continue to evolve, the UN insists that coordinated global action is essential to protect the next generation from harm.

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