The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed a disturbing trend that has emerged in Malaysia, where non-consensual sexual content is now the most significant online threat to children, yet it remains shrouded in silence due to severe underreporting.
According to UNICEF Malaysia deputy representative Sanja Saranovic, sexualised online abuse has overtaken bullying and scams as the most damaging threat to Malaysian children.
However, she noted that the deeply personal and often traumatic nature of these experiences leads to a reluctance to report.
“There was a clear mapping of harms presented today, and non-consensual sexual content is number one,” the official said, according to local news portal Malay Mail.
“Even if minors record sexual content consensually, consent doesn’t count because they’re children – and this is where we see the greatest risk.”
The fear of being judged
Citing data from UNICEF’s Disrupting Harm Malaysia report, Saranovic revealed that four per cent of internet-using children aged 12 to 17 – about 100,000 young Malaysians – experienced online sexual exploitation or abuse in the past year.
Despite this, police records from the country’s D11 Sexual, Women, and Child Investigation Division show very few cases reach law enforcement.
Many children in Malaysia remain silent due to feelings of shame, embarrassment, fear of trouble, uncertainty about where to report, and the belief that nothing would be done.
Cultural stigma around sexual topics, especially when abuse involves same-sex perpetrators, adds to their fear of further legal or social repercussions.
“Most of the time, kids don’t report because they fear being judged or punished for something they didn’t fully understand.”
“Parents must be open-minded. Create a safe environment so children can tell you when something is wrong,” said Saranovic.
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Push for collective action
While acknowledging these worrying trends, Saranovic affirmed that Malaysia is actively addressing online safety concerns, keeping pace with its Association of Southeast Asian Nations neighbours through legal advancements like recognising sextortion.
“Malaysia has done well to catch up with online and offline risks. What we see here today – ministries, industry, non-governmental organisations and even children in the room together – not many countries do this,” she stated.
The UNICEF representative said the focus now shifts to technology companies, particularly those newer platforms that often lack adequate regulation and can become breeding grounds for abuse.
Saranovic stressed that partnering with industry is essential, as responsibility cannot rest solely on parents or children.
Malaysia’s commitment to safer online environment
Meanwhile, the Malaysian government recently confirmed that stricter measures will be implemented to protect its youth in the digital realm.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil stated that efforts include barring individuals under 16 years of age from creating social media accounts starting January 1 next year, and enhancing verification rules.
He explained that the move is in line with Putrajaya’s commitment to strengthening online safety for minors.
“We expect all platform providers to be ready to implement eKYC by next year,” he said, noting that the upcoming ban for children under 16 is aligned with protections under the Online Safety Act, which takes effect on January 1.
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