The same study by the United Nations body revealed that more than five out of 10 think friends participate in risky behaviour while using the Internet.
“The Internet and mobile phones have revolutionised young people’s access to information, but the poll findings show just how real the risk of online abuse is for girls and boys,” said Unicef’s Associate Director of Child Protection Cornelius Williams in a statement.
Williams said, globally, one in three Internet users is a child and the findings provide important insights from young people themselves.
The new report finds that adolescents appear confident with their own ability to stay safe, with nearly 90% of interviewees believing they can avoid online dangers.
Six out of 10 said meeting new people online is either somewhat or very important to them, but only 36% strongly believe they can tell when people are lying about who they are online.
More than two-thirds of girls, or 67%, strongly agree they would be worried if they received sexual comments or requests over the Internet. This compares to 47% of boys.
When online threats do occur, more adolescents turn to friends than parents or teachers, but less than half strongly agree they know how to help a friend facing an online risk, he added.
The findings also state the Philippines is one of the worst affected countries in this region.
“For some time, it has been the number one global source of child sexual abuse materials, also known as child pornography.
“Digital technology is changing the scale and form of child sexual abuse and exploitation, and the Philippines is now seeing more and more cases of live stream child sexual abuse.”
The modus operandi is that it involves an overseas child sex abuser who connects via webcam to an “operator” in the Philippines.
He said the foreigner pays the operator to arrange for sexual abuse of children on camera.
“Shockingly, in some of these cases, the operator is the child’s own parents.”
Williams cited in one Manila slum, children abused as part of a webcam “show” received 150 pesos (USD3) each. But the cost to children’s health and wellbeing is much greater.
“In later life, they are more likely to have mental health problems, not attend school or drop out, attempt suicide and engage in high-risk behaviour.”
Last year, the Philippines Office of Cybercrime received 12,374 cyber tips from the US-based National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, involving a number of criminal cases of live-stream child abuse in the Philippines.
Such cases of child abuse have been rising, from 57 in 2013, to 89 in 2014 and 167 in 2015.
“We need to raise awareness and vigilance of this issue so that parents and others understand that child abuse – in any form – is not just morally wrong.
“It is also extremely harmful to children’s health and development,” said Lotta Sylwander, Unicef representative in the Philippines.
“Unfortunately, at the moment the situation is getting worse, not better.”
The study comes in the wake of the news that Richard Huckle, dubbed Britain’s worst paedophile, was sentenced to 23 years for crimes against scores of impoverished children, including those from Malaysia.