NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – United Nations issued a warning that worldwide efforts to eliminate violence against children are falling behind schedule for 2030. This assessment marks two decades since the UN’s landmark study on violence targeting children. A newly published progress report indicates that conflict, displacement, climate-related hazards, and digital abuse have all increased risks to child protection. Najat Maalla M’jid, the UN Special Representative on Violence Against Children, authored this latest evaluation. The 81st session of the UN General Assembly is scheduled to review the report later this month.
According to the report, nearly 19% of children globally now reside in conflict zones, a stark rise from approximately 10% during the 1990s. By the end of 2024, conflict and violence had caused displacement for 48.8 million children worldwide, a figure almost three times the roughly 17 million displaced children recorded in 2010. This group includes refugee and asylum-seeking children, as well as millions displaced within their own countries due to violence and conflict.
Climate-related hazards are presenting an additional layer of danger for children around the world. Nearly half of all children, totaling 1.1 billion, face at least three overlapping climate risks. Almost every child endures at least one such hazard, based on UNICEF’s 2026 climate risk assessment. Over 4 million children are exposed to as many as six simultaneous threats, including drought, extreme heat, heatwaves, floods, fires, tropical storms, and sand and dust storms.
Digital dangers intensify concerns for child safety
The UN assessment highlights how digital spaces have broadened the scope of threats faced by children. One in three internet users worldwide is under 18. Annually, more than 300 million children encounter online sexual exploitation and abuse, according to data cited by the UN office. Additionally, at least 1.2 million children reported that artificial intelligence had created sexually explicit deepfakes of their images within the past year. Other online risks encompass cyberbullying, scams, identity theft, trafficking, and exposure to harmful content.
A 2025 survey conducted by M’jid’s office included responses from over 30,000 children across all regions. Among these respondents, 66% believed that cyberbullying had increased. Half of the children surveyed did not know where or how to report cyberbullying or seek help. The report also flags hate speech, privacy breaches, and criminal recruitment as online dangers. The emergence of artificial intelligence tools introduces new risks such as deepfakes, automated targeting, and manipulated digital material.
UN urges enhanced prevention strategies and protective measures
The report advocates for a unified strategy rooted in prevention, protection, participation, and accountability. Recommendations include implementing national policies aimed at eradicating all forms of violence against children. It also emphasizes the need for legal bans, improved data collection, and increased investment in child protection infrastructures. The UN calls for digital safeguards that incorporate stricter privacy and safety standards across platforms and AI systems. Furthermore, it supports accessible reporting mechanisms and meaningful child participation in decisions concerning their safety.
Since July 2019, M’jid has served as the UN Special Representative on Violence Against Children, conducting 65 country visits and engaging with senior officials from both national and local governments. Her interactions included meetings with 35 heads of state, heads of government or their deputies, as well as 728 ministers and senior officials. The latest report also estimates a global annual cost of $393 billion linked to the loss of human capital resulting from mental health issues among children. The UN assessment underscores that the 2030 objective to end violence against children remains off course.