DISRUPTING HARM IN PAKISTAN

Nearly 6 percent of internet-using children aged 12–17 in Pakistan experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse in the past year, predominantly via platforms like Snapchat and WhatsApp. In 85 percent of cases, the abusers were known to the child rather than strangers. Fear of community stigma, victim-blaming, and mistrust in authorities led to 57 percent of these incidents never being disclosed, with zero surveyed children reporting to formal avenues like the police or helplines.

Although the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act provides a legal baseline, significant gaps remain, such as excluding mere access, audio content, and AI-generated material. In practice, victims face hostile justice processes, secondary victimization, and mishandled digital evidence. The report concludes that prevention must shift away from child-focused, victim-blaming advice toward holding perpetrators accountable, improving systemic legal protections, and enforcing digital platform responsibility.