Every business has an impact on children. That is the central conclusion of Every Business Impacts Children, a report published by UNICEF Spain in July 2026. The study examines 75 companies across ten economic sectors (from food and technology to tourism and media) to assess how their decisions affect the rights of children and adolescents. Based on an analysis of publicly available information, sector-specific frameworks, and interviews with participating companies, the report aims to help businesses identify their impact on children and integrate the protection of children’s rights as a strategic priority. Here are ten of its main findings.
1. Every business influences children. The report begins with a fundamental idea: virtually every company, regardless of its sector, affects the lives of children and adolescents through its products, services, advertising, labor practices, environmental impact, and relationships with families.
2. Children’s education also depends on businesses. Parents’ working conditions have a direct impact on children’s development, well-being, and educational opportunities. Factors such as work-life balance, working hours, and financial stability all influence children’s growth and learning.
3. Children should be recognized as a key stakeholder group. UNICEF argues that children and adolescents should no longer be viewed solely as beneficiaries of corporate social responsibility initiatives, but as a key stakeholder group whose needs should be integrated into business strategy and decision-making.
4. Marketing aimed at children remains a major challenge. The report concludes that many companies still lack sufficiently clear policies on responsible marketing directed at children, particularly in digital environments.
5. Children are especially vulnerable to commercial persuasion. Children are particularly susceptible to commercial persuasion techniques. As a result, companies have an increased responsibility both in the design of their products and in the way they communicate and market them.
6. Digital environments require stronger protections. Privacy, online safety, advertising aimed at children, algorithms, and digital content are identified as priority areas for safeguarding children’s rights in digital spaces.
7. Prevention must replace reaction. UNICEF points out that many organizations act only after problems arise, while relatively few incorporate preventive measures into the design of their products, services, and business processes.
8. Listening to children remains an unfinished task. The report identifies the limited participation of children and adolescents in decisions that affect them, along with the lack of child-friendly channels for hearing their perspectives, as a significant weakness.
9. Protection from violence must be part of every organization. UNICEF recommends that companies establish child safeguarding policies, staff training, detection protocols, and clear procedures to prevent and respond to all forms of violence and child abuse.
10. Children’s rights must be embedded across the organization. The report concludes that protecting children should not be limited to isolated or philanthropic initiatives. Instead, it should be systematically integrated into corporate strategy, governance, operations, products, services, and the entire value chain.
Although the report is aimed at the business community, many of its conclusions speak directly to the field of education. Protecting children, creating safe environments, promoting healthy habits, strengthening digital literacy, and ensuring that children and adolescents are genuinely heard are goals that can only be achieved through collaboration among schools, families, businesses, and public institutions. UNICEF’s report reminds us that safeguarding children’s rights is not the responsibility of any single sector, but a shared responsibility of society as a whole.
Primary school teacher. Participant in the Dialogic Pedagogical Gathering of Elda, “On the Shoulders of Giants.”