UN warns of escalating violence against children and urges stronger digital protection

The world has fewer than four years left to meet its promise of ending violence against children by 2030, but the United Nations says progress is falling short.

A new report by Najat Maalla M’jid, the UN secretary-general’s special representative on violence against children, calls for countries to work together “better and faster” so children do not have to wait another generation to grow up without fear and violence. The report is due to be debated at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly this month.

The risks are rising in several areas. Almost 19% of the world’s children now live in conflict zones, compared with 10% in the 1990s. By the end of 2024, nearly 50 million children had been displaced within or across national borders because of conflict and violence. The number of displaced children nearly tripled between 2010 and 2024.

Climate change and natural disasters add to those protection risks. The report says 1.1 billion children are exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards. Children subjected to violence also face heightened risks of sexual violence and lifelong disabilities.

The report describes the expansion of violence in the digital environment as one of the most profound changes since the UN’s study on violence against children was published 20 years ago. One in three internet users is now a child. Online access has expanded opportunities for learning, participation and social interaction, but it has also enabled sexual exploitation and abuse, cyberbullying, harmful content, promotion of suicide and self-harm, hate speech, misinformation, privacy violations, fraud, identity theft and technology-facilitated trafficking.

Since taking office in July 2019, M’jid has made 65 country visits, met 35 heads of state or government or their deputies, and engaged with 728 ministers and senior officials and 96 municipal and local governments. She is preparing 10 more visits for the rest of 2026.

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Better and faster