Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The United Nations' annual report on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) verified 38,558 grave violations against children in 2025, affecting 24,174 individuals, many suffering multiple abuses. About one-third of the victims were girls, marking the highest number in three decades of monitoring.
For the first time, government forces were identified as the leading perpetrators of grave violations, particularly in killing and maiming, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denying humanitarian access. This shift followed increased hostilities, greater use of explosive weapons in populated areas, and expanded use of artificial intelligence in targeting.
Killing and maiming remained the most common violations, with 6,266 children killed and 7,958 maimed, increases of 34% and 10%, respectively. The report found that many military strategies disregarded the principles of distinction, proportionality, and the special protection of children, resulting in foreseeable and avoidable harm.
The report documented 8,322 incidents of denied humanitarian access, 6,607 children recruited and used in hostilities, and 5,129 children abducted, often for recruitment or sexual violence. Rape and other forms of sexual violence persisted, with increasing cases of gang rape used as a tactic of war.
The highest numbers of violations were reported in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Myanmar, and Somalia. Where possible, violations were attributed to the responsible warring parties listed in the report’s annexes.