SKOPJE, North Macedonia — One in every 10 internet-using children aged 12 to 17 in North Macedonia — approximately 12,000 children — was exposed to technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse during a single year, according to a new report highlighting serious gaps in child protection, prevention and access to support.
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| Participants attend the presentation of the "Disrupting Harm in North Macedonia" study, a collaborative report by UNICEF Innocenti, ECPAT International, and INTERPOL highlighting online child exploitation and abuse. |
The report warns that the scale of online sexual exploitation and abuse requires stronger legislation, safer digital environments, more effective reporting mechanisms and better support for children and families.
One in 10 Children Affected
The study found that 10% of children aged 12 to 17 who use the internet in North Macedonia experienced some form of sexual exploitation or abuse involving technology in the year before they were surveyed.
The abuse can occur entirely online or involve a combination of digital and face-to-face interactions. Technology can also be used to record, distribute or facilitate abuse that takes place offline.
The consequences for affected children can be severe.
According to the research, children who had experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse were 11 times more likely to have engaged in self-harm and 12 times more likely to report suicidal thoughts or behaviors than children who had not experienced such abuse.
Professionals interviewed for the study described long-term consequences including shame, loss of control, sleep disorders, stress and persistent fear that abusive material could remain online indefinitely.
“Behind every statistic in this report is a child whose trust has been lost, whose safety has been threatened and whose wellbeing has been compromised,” said Leslie Miller, UNICEF Representative.
She stressed that protecting children in the digital age requires stronger laws, better services, safer online environments and open conversations with children.
Nearly Half Experienced More Than One Form of Abuse
The research also shows that children are frequently exposed to multiple forms of abuse.
Almost half of affected children — 48% — experienced more than one form of abuse during the year preceding the survey.
More than half of the reported incidents were connected to social media, while almost one-third occurred through online gaming platforms.
The study found no significant differences based on gender, age, place of residence, digital skills or parents' level of education, suggesting that online sexual exploitation can affect children across different social and demographic groups.
The Perpetrator Was Often Someone the Child Knew
One of the most striking findings challenges the perception that online sexual exploitation is primarily carried out by anonymous strangers.
Nearly four out of five affected children — 78% — said the perpetrator was someone they knew.
More than half of the perpetrators identified in the study were adults, accounting for 57% of cases.
Current or former intimate partners, as well as people toward whom the child felt sympathy or affection, were involved in 39% of cases, while family members were involved in more than a quarter — 27%.
The findings suggest that online abuse is frequently connected to relationships of trust and can extend between digital and physical environments.
Children Speak Up — But Formal Reporting Remains Extremely Low
Although 88% of children who experienced exploitation or abuse told someone about what had happened, formal reporting and attempts to obtain help through official channels remained extremely low.
According to the report, less than 1% sought assistance through formal reporting mechanisms.
Children identified shame, stigma, uncertainty about reporting procedures and a lack of trust in institutions as major barriers.
This gap between telling someone and formally reporting abuse represents one of the biggest challenges for authorities and child-protection services.
As Deputy Interior Minister Astrit Iseni said, the report provides a clearer picture of how young people behave online, the risks they encounter and where institutions need to intervene more effectively.
He called for stronger prevention in schools and communities, better information sharing between institutions, clearer reporting procedures and stronger support for affected children and families.
North Macedonia Faces Legal Gaps
The report warns that technology is changing the way sexual exploitation and abuse can be committed, while legislation has not always kept pace with those changes.
Researchers identified legal gaps that can leave children vulnerable, particularly those between 14 and 17 years old.
The study calls for reforms aimed at closing those gaps, strengthening accountability for perpetrators and ensuring equal protection for all children.
It also urges authorities to improve access to justice, reporting systems, child-protection services and mental-health and psychosocial support.
Safer Platforms and Stronger Cooperation Needed
The recommendations extend beyond government institutions.
The report calls for greater investment in prevention and education for both children and parents, safer digital platforms and stronger cooperation between government agencies, technology companies, internet service providers and law-enforcement authorities.
The objective is not simply to respond after abuse occurs, but to make digital environments safer before children become victims.
For parents and caregivers, the report also underlines the importance of creating an environment where children can speak openly about uncomfortable or threatening online experiences without fear of blame.
A Growing Digital Child-Protection Challenge
The findings from North Macedonia underline a wider problem confronting governments around the world: the same technologies that give children unprecedented access to information, education and social interaction can also be exploited to facilitate abuse.
The Al-Hol and Al-Roj camps, for years associated with thousands of women and children connected to suspected ISIS members or supporters, represent a separate but related international challenge concerning vulnerable children and cross-border protection.
In North Macedonia, however, the immediate challenge is increasingly digital.
The report's central message is stark: children cannot be expected to protect themselves from sophisticated forms of online exploitation without stronger systems, safer platforms and adults who are prepared to listen and act.
And when a child is abused, the responsibility lies entirely with the perpetrator — never with the child.