Armenia Launches First-Ever National Study on Technology-Facilitated Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

PRESS RELEASE 
Armenia, 2 February 2026 

YEREVAN, 31 December – A groundbreaking study released today reveals that five per cent of internet-using children aged 12 to 17 were subjected to tech-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse in only a one-year period. Seventy-one per cent of tech-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse happened exclusively via online channels, such as social media or online gaming platforms. The most common forms included unwanted exposure to sexual images.

The report, Disrupting Harm in Armenia, marks the country’s first comprehensive effort to understand and address this urgent issue. Funded by Safe Online and implemented by ECPAT International, INTERPOL, and UNICEF Innocenti, the research project has already generated critical insights in 13 countries. In Armenia, the research was conducted in coordination with UNICEF Armenia, Ministry of Internal Affairs, and local bureau of INTERPOL.

Key findings include:

• 5% of children aged 12-17 who use the internet in Armenia experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse in the past year.
• 71% of cases occurred entirely online, often through social media platforms, such as Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Telegram.
• 57% of perpetrators were known to the child, including peers and acquaintances, challenging the myth that strangers pose the greatest risk.
• Over half (53%) of victims never told anyone about the abuse. None reported to police. Shame, stigma, and fear of victim-blaming were the main barriers to disclosure.
• Children subjected to this abuse were 12 times more likely to experience suicidal thoughts and 21 times more likely to engage in self-harm compared to their peers, facing severe mental health consequences, isolation, and long-term trauma.

The report calls for urgent reforms to strengthen laws, create safe reporting mechanisms, and challenge harmful social norms that perpetuate silence and stigma. More specifically, in the next years, UNICEF and partners will focus on:

• Education: Update school curricula to include comprehensive, age-appropriate information about online safety.
• Legal reform: Expand definitions of grooming and sexual extortion, criminalize livestreaming of child sexual abuse, and require platforms to report and remove child sexual abuse material.
• Justice system: Introduce child-friendly procedures, connect Armenia to INTERPOL’s ICSE database, and provide specialized training for law enforcement and judges.
• Community engagement: Address victim-blaming and train parents, teachers, and frontline workers to respond supportively.
• Mental health support: Establish a nationwide network of trauma-informed child psychologists and ensure sustainable funding for child protection services.

“The Disrupting Harm research in Armenia reinforces what many countries are facing: technology is outpacing our laws, leaving dangerous gaps in child protection systems. Children have a right to access justice and social services that are adapted to these shifting realities – not simply made more ‘child-friendly’ or treated as an afterthought,” said Guillaume Landry, Executive Director of ECPAT International.

“Disrupting Harm research in Armenia is strengthening the country’s response to technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse. Using data from law enforcement and partner organizations, it provides a clearer understanding of offences, trends, and the digital spaces where these crimes occur. This evidence has improved engagement with key stakeholders and informed the creation of a roadmap for law enforcement – aligned with INTERPOL Resolution AG-2011-RES-08 and supported by practical recommendations to advance victim-centred approaches to tackling this crime,” added Mark Beavan, Head of Crimes against Children Unit at INTERPOL.

“The Disrupting Harm in Armenia study reveals how harmful social norms and victim-blaming silence children – and protect perpetrators. Shame, guilt, and harmful social norms often lead children to blame themselves for the exploitation and abuse they were subjected to. Instead of receiving help, many children face judgment from their families, communities, and even support services. Abuse and exploitation are never a child’s fault. We all have a responsibility to dismantle these damaging beliefs, and build safe, trusted spaces where children feel heard, protected, and able to seek help without fear,” noted Daniel Kardefelt Winther, Research Manager, UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight.

“This report marks a major milestone for Armenia and for the global evidence base on children’s digital safety. For the first time, Armenia has robust data showing how digital technologies are used to exploit children and why urgent action is needed. Armenia’s findings are a clear call to strengthen laws, shift harmful norms, and ensure systems protect children,” said Marija Manojlovic, Executive Director of Safe Online. “Disrupting Harm was created for exactly this purpose: to equip countries with the data they need to confront technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse. Backed by Safe Online’s $15 million investment and the expertise of ECPAT International, INTERPOL, and UNICEF Innocenti, the initiative is building the world’s most comprehensive evidence base on digital child safety.”

Read the full report here.

For more information, please contact: communications@ecpat.org

About Disrupting Harm

Disrupting Harm is a pioneering global initiative launched in 2019 to uncover how digital technologies are used to exploit and abuse children – and to equip countries with the evidence needed to stop this violence. Funded by Safe Online and implemented by ECPAT International, INTERPOL, and UNICEF Innocenti, the project has already generated critical insights in 13 countries. By 2026, it will have delivered national-level data in 25 countries across six regions.

In each country, Disrupting Harm maps how technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse happens, identifies risk and protection factors, and provides an evidence-based roadmap for governments and partners to act. The findings are already shaping stronger laws, prevention campaigns, and child protection systems around the world.