NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – United Nations has issued a warning that global initiatives to combat violence against children are falling behind schedule for 2030. This assessment marks two decades since the landmark UN study on violence targeting children. According to a new progress report, factors such as conflict, displacement, climate-related dangers, and digital abuse have significantly increased threats to child protection. Najat Maalla M’jid, the UN Special Representative on Violence Against Children, compiled this latest report. The 81st UN General Assembly session will review its findings this month.
The report highlights that nearly 19% of children worldwide now reside in conflict zones, a sharp rise from roughly 10% during the 1990s. By the conclusion of 2024, conflict and violence had resulted in 48.8 million children being displaced globally, nearly tripling the approximate 17 million displaced children recorded in 2010. This total includes refugee and asylum-seeking children along with millions internally displaced by conflict and violence within their own countries.
Climate-related hazards are creating additional risks for children globally. Nearly half of all children, or 1.1 billion, are exposed to at least three overlapping climate threats. Almost every child faces at least one such danger, according to UNICEF’s 2026 climate risk assessment. More than 4 million children are threatened by as many as six simultaneous hazards, which include drought, extreme heat, heatwaves, floods, fires, tropical storms, and sand and dust storms.
Digital Risks Amplify Child Safety Challenges
According to the UN assessment, digital environments have broadened the spectrum of threats children face. Roughly one in three internet users globally is under 18. Each year, over 300 million children experience online sexual exploitation and abuse, as cited by the UN office. Additionally, at least 1.2 million children reported that artificial intelligence had transformed their images into sexually explicit deepfakes during the past year. Other dangers include cyberbullying, identity theft, fraud, trafficking, and exposure to harmful content.
A poll conducted in 2025 by M’jid’s office surveyed more than 30,000 children across all regions. Sixty-six percent of participants believed that cyberbullying had increased. Half of the children surveyed were unaware of how or where to report such incidents or seek support. The report also points to online threats like hate speech, privacy breaches, and criminal recruitment. Emerging artificial intelligence tools have introduced new risks involving deepfakes, automated targeting, and manipulated digital content.
UN Calls for Enhanced Prevention Strategies and Protective Measures
The report advocates for a unified approach rooted in prevention, protection, participation, and accountability. It recommends developing national strategies to eliminate all forms of violence against children. The UN also urges stronger legal bans, improved data collection, and increased investment in child protection infrastructure. Digital safeguards should encompass more robust privacy and safety protocols across platforms and artificial intelligence systems. The report supports accessible mechanisms for reporting abuse and meaningful child involvement in decisions concerning their safety.
Since July 2019, M’jid has served as the UN Special Representative on Violence Against Children. During her tenure, she has visited 65 countries and engaged with senior officials from both national and local governments. Her meetings included 35 heads of state, heads of government or deputies, along with 728 ministers and senior officials. The latest report estimates that the global economic cost from lost human capital due to mental health issues among children amounts to $393 billion annually. The UN assessment emphasizes that the goal of ending violence against children by 2030 remains unlikely to be achieved on schedule.