Online Violence
keeping children safe online
What is online violence?
Online violence against children (also known as technology-facilitated violence) includes harm, abuse or exploitation that is facilitated by digital technology. It can affect children’s safety, wellbeing and rights.
While the digital environment can bring opportunities, it can also pose risks. This includes a number of growing forms of harms, such as:
- cyberbullying
- online sexual exploitation and abuse
- grooming
- harassment
- exposure to violent or abusive content
We work with governments to strengthen regulation and support community-led initiatives that help children build online safety skills.
Digital environments can also offer many opportunities for the realisation of children’s rights. They can provide children with the possibility to learn new skills, build supportive communities and stay connected with others, especially for those who may be isolated or marginalised. These benefits depend on the availability of digital environments that are safe, inclusive, and respect children’s rights.
Types of violence affecting children online
Online violence can take many forms across social media, messaging apps and other digital platforms and technologies. These forms of online violence can pose risks to children’s safety, wellbeing and rights. It’s important to note that violence against children does not only happen online. Many children experience harm both online and offline.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is when someone uses digital platforms, such as social media, messaging apps, or digital technology to hurt or upset another person. This includes hate speech, online threats, and engaging in sexual harassment using generative AI.
Online Grooming
Online grooming is when an adult uses digital technology to build a relationship with a child online to gain their trust, and manipulate them for exploitative purposes, including sexual abuse.
Online sexual exploitation and abuse
Online sexual exploitation and abuse includes online grooming, sharing of sexual images without consent and sexual extortion, pressuring someone to share sexual images, and the production or sharing sexual abuse images of children.
Tech-facilitated gender-based violence
Tech-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) is violence or abuse carried out using digital technology directed at someone one on the basis of their gender. This form of violence is disproportionately perpetrated against girls and women. Young women and girls, women with disabilities, migrant women, Black and indigenous women and other women of colour, and LGBTQI+ people face higher risks of online violence.
There exist various forms of tech-facilitated gender-based violence, such as online harassment, image-based abuse, and cyberstalking. This involves repeated behaviours that threatens or abuses someone by sending offensive messages, sharing intimate images without consent, and repeated, unwanted contact using technology.
We have implemented more than 650 initiatives to expand mobile services, digital platforms and the responsible and safe use of AI, helping improve outcomes for children.
How does online violence affect children?
Online violence can have serious and lasting effects on children.
Children can be exposed to various forms of violence online, and these often overlap with experiences of violence offline.
Online violence can cause children severe and long-term harm, including physical and psychological health effects. This includes anxiety, depression and trauma, as well as health problems later in life such as heart disease.
Children may also show changes in behaviour. They may:
- withdraw from family and friends
- lose interest in things they enjoy
- struggle in school
These effects can have a lasting impact on children’s wellbeing and health.
How is UNICEF working to promote children’s rights and online safety?
We work with governments, communities, and other partners to make lasting changes to promote children’s rights in relation to the digital environment and prevent online violence, such as:
- Working with governments to strengthen legal and policy frameworks to prevent and respond to violence against children in digital environments. In Vietnam, we worked with the government to approve a National Programme on Child Online Protection to help create safer online spaces.
- Working with education sectors In Ecuador, we supported the Ministry of Education to develop guidance on safe internet use, shaped by children’s views and experiences.
- Working with partners to promote responsible practices that respect children’s rights in digital spaces. This includes a self-led learning package developed by UNICEF in collaboration with partners, that seeks to provide information on child rights and business knowledge in relation to the digital environment.
We also support parents, caregivers and professionals to build their digital knowledge so they can help children stay safe online.
Support our work to help keep children safe online
Digital environments can provide opportunities for learning, connecting, and play, all which are key to the realisation of children’s rights.
We work with policymakers, businesses and communities to help make digital spaces safer for children to learn and express themselves. Your donation can help our work in promoting online safety and protect children from online violence.
Donate now to support UNICEF’s work to help keep children safe online.
