Latest NCRB figures highlight growing threats to children both online and offline
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 08 2026: The latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has revealed a worrying rise in crimes against children in India, with a total of 1,87,702 cases recorded across the country in one year - an increase of 5.8 per cent from 1,77,335 cases reported in 2023.A statement issued by CRY (Child Rights and You) has noted that cybercrimes against children accounted for nearly 0.7 per cent of all crimes against children recorded in 2024, as per their analysis.

Of the total 1,87,702 cases, 1,238 cases were booked under the Information Technology (IT) Act as cybercrimes against children.

Significantly, an overwhelming majority of these offences involved publishing or transmitting material depicting children in sexually explicit acts.

Such cases accounted for 1,099 of the 1,238 cybercrime cases registered against children in 2024 - nearly nine out of every 10 cases.

According to CRY's analysis of State-wise NCRB data, Chhattisgarh recorded the highest number of cybercrimes against children with 268 cases, followed by Rajasthan (174), Delhi (151), Uttar Pradesh (137) and Kerala (92).The NCRB data also highlights the continuing scale of sexual offences against children under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

A total of 69,191 POCSO cases were registered across India in 2024.Girls constituted an overwhelming majority of victims/survivors in cases registered under Sections 4 and 6 of the POCSO Act, which deal with penetrative sexual assault and aggravated penetrative sexual assault respectively.

Of the 44,567 child victims/survivors recorded under these sections in 2024, as many as 43,675 were girls, accounting for 98 per cent of all victims.

Boys accounted for 892 victims.

The highest number of victims was reported among children aged 16-18 years, with 23,497 victims recorded in this age group alone.

Girls constituted 99.5 per cent of victims within this category.

The NCRB data further shows that in the overwhelming majority of POCSO cases, the offender was known to the child.

Out of 44,126 cases recorded under Sections 4 and 6 of the POCSO Act, 42,634 cases (96.6 per cent) involved offenders known to the victim.

Only 1,492 cases involved unknown or unidentified offenders.

"The growing scale of crimes against children, both online and offline, demands far greater public awareness, stronger community vigilance, robust redressal mechanisms and faster justice delivery.

Alongside ensuring preventive education and access to safe reporting mechanisms, there must also be strong and swift punitive action against perpetrators to send an unequivocal message that crimes against children will not be tolerated in any form," said Soha Moitra, Director of Programmes at CRY .

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