‘Darkest chapter’: Record child violations in 2025, with national forces leading the way
The findings come in the annual UN report on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) which documents six main violations: killing and maiming, recruitment and use, abduction, rape and other forms of sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access. The report verified 38,558 grave violations committed in 2025 affecting 24,174 children, many of whom suffered multiple violations. A third of the victims were girls. This marks the highest number of children affected since the UN established the CAAC mandate 30 years ago. A dark chapter For the first time, Government forces were the main perpetrators of grave violations against children, particularly killing and maiming, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access. This worrying shift occurred amid hostilities, increasing use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas, and growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in targeting processes. “2025 was without a doubt one of the darkest chapters for child protection since monitoring began,” said Vanessa Frazier, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. “When States, on whom the obligation to protect children falls, instead contribute to their suffering, it signals the deeper erosion of respect for international law.”
