NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – According to a recent United Nations assessment, global progress toward ending violence against children remains behind schedule for the 2030 deadline. This report, which reviews two decades of advancements since the landmark UN study on violence against children, highlights ongoing threats such as conflict, forced displacement, climate-related hazards, and digital abuse that continue to endanger millions of young lives. Najat Maalla M’jid, serving as the UN Special Representative on Violence Against Children, prepared the latest review for the 81st UN General Assembly.
The report states that nearly 19% of children worldwide are now living in conflict zones, a significant increase from close to 10% during the 1990s. By the end of 2024, conflict and violence had displaced 48.8 million children, nearly tripling the figure recorded in 2010. This figure encompasses refugee children, asylum seekers, and internally displaced youth. These statistics underscore the vast disruption faced by children in regions affected by war and insecurity.
Climate-related threats have also emerged as a central concern for child protection efforts globally. Approximately 1.1 billion children face at least three concurrent climate hazards. Virtually every child is exposed to at least one climate risk, with over 4 million children experiencing six overlapping dangers, according to UNICEF. These dangers include drought, extreme heat, floods, wildfires, tropical storms, and sand and dust storms. Climate shocks can also interfere with education, health services, housing, and access to essential needs.
Digital threats expand the scope of risks confronting children
Online spaces are raising new safety concerns for children worldwide. About one in three internet users is under 18. The assessment cites data indicating that over 300 million children suffer from online sexual exploitation and abuse annually. In the past year, at least 1.2 million children had their images altered into sexually explicit deepfakes. Additional digital hazards include cyberbullying, identity theft, trafficking, harmful content, and criminal recruitment.
A 2025 survey by M’jid’s office gathered responses from more than 30,000 children across all regions. Sixty-six percent of respondents believed cyberbullying had increased. Half of the children surveyed did not know where to report abuse or seek help. The report highlights hate speech, privacy violations, and manipulated digital content as major concerns. Artificial intelligence has introduced new forms of abuse, such as deepfakes and automated content creation, intensifying the challenges faced by child protection systems.
Call for enhanced prevention efforts and accountability mechanisms
The report advocates for national strategies emphasizing prevention, protection, participation, and accountability. It urges the adoption of more robust legislation against violence targeting children and improved systems for gathering reliable data. Greater investment in child protection services and accessible channels for reporting abuse are also recommended. To bolster digital safety, stronger privacy controls and safeguards across online platforms and AI systems are essential. The review further emphasizes involving children actively in decision-making processes that impact their safety and well-being.
The findings come at a time when governments are under pressure to meet the 2030 goal of ending violence against children. Since July 2019, M’jid has held her role, completing 65 country-level visits and engaging with senior officials at both national and local levels. The report estimates the global annual cost of lost human capital related to mental health issues among children at $393 billion. Overall, the assessment concludes that current progress remains inadequate to achieve the international target on time.