In a 2020 study titled 'Online Safety and Internet Addiction' conducted by CRY (Child Rights and You), covering 630 adolescents across eights schools in Delhi-NCR, nine per cent admitted to experiencing cyberbullying. Its incidence increased with age, with 3 to 17 per cent of 13 to 17 year olds falling prey to it.
One in every tenth respondent had been a victim of profile misuse or account hacking. Around 23 per cent saw morphed images or videos on the internet. Some 28 per cent, who spent more than four hours a day on the internet, faced cyberbullying. And only 1/4th of the respondents had any correct knowledge about the minimum age of making a social media account.
The report was out in March 2020, and in May, the 'Bois Locker Room' exploded when a private chat group on Instagram made by a group of Delhi schoolboys shared obscene images of their female peers. One of the key recommendations in a 2021 policy document, released by CRY, is that child protection workforce that provides victim support, such as helplines and functionaries appointed under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), and village child protection committees, are best placed to help child victims of online abuse and exploitation.
In an interview, Soledad Herrero, chief of Child Protection at UNICEF, shares her thoughts on ways to safeguard children and teenagers from being bullied online.
Teenagers have, in many instances, begun to use social media as a platform to shame, punish or avenge peer groups they don't respect or align with. How does one monitor such behaviour?
Parents, guardians and teachers must understand that the environment and contexts that lead to offline violence and abuse are also the precursors of online violence. To counter them, there is a need to inculcate a protective environment with a supportive family. This ensures mental well-being with inbuilt mechanisms for reporting such incidents.
It is also important for us to be a part of the online experiences of our children. We can do this by familiarising ourselves with the platforms used by children, explaining how the online and the offline worlds are connected, and warning them about the many risks they will face online. When we do this, we lower the risk of online violence or abuse, and are better prepared to address it when it occurs.
How has the pandemic exacerbated cyberbullying of teenagers in India?
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of our children's lives in ways we are yet to fully grasp. It has exacerbated the pandemic of mental health issues, of poverty, and even domestic violence. It has deprived children from access to education, recreation, and socialisation. It has put additional economic stress on families which were struggling to make ends meet, leading to children dropping out of school, possibly slipping into child labour, child marriage, or other forms of violence, abuse, or exploitation.
Children have lost parents and relatives, and have experienced grief, isolation, and anxiety. All these have worsened the already precarious mental health situation of millions of children in the country. Trends around suicides among students are of increasing concern.
The capacity of child protection services and overall support system to prevent and respond to children in distress have also been affected, as those who would normally identify symptoms of violence or abuse—teachers, community members, relatives—have had limited contact with those children.
What correctional measures can be suggested
In the Covid-19 world, the use of internet has expanded exponentially as a result of online schooling, or more generally as a means to connect, socialise or for recreation. This, as I said, is something that should be welcomed as it happens in a way where the associated risks are mitigated. Firstly, of course, time spent online needs to be controlled and should not go beyond periods that will affect the mental well-being of children. Screen time should not, cannot, replace the time a child spends playing, socialising, discovering in the real world. Secondly, it needs to be supervised. Unfortunately, parents and caregivers, particularly from most vulnerable families, have had to leave children unsupervised for longer periods. Some reports in India identified a 95 per cent increase in internet search for child sexual abuse material in India. Thirdly, use of internet needs be linked with children having access to digital literacy and support systems to navigate the online world.
What are some of the essential missing links when it comes to proper cyber education/cyber hygiene curriculum in India?
The first thing that parents and caregivers should do is educate their children about bullying. Once they know what bullying is, children will be able to identify it more easily, whether it is happening to them or someone else. Also the more they talk to their children about bullying, the more comfortable the children will be telling them if they see or experience it.
The second thing parents can do, should do, is becoming role models. They need to show their child how to treat other children and adults with kindness and respect by doing the same to the people around, including speaking up when others are being mistreated. Children look to their parents as examples on how to behave, including what to post online.
Another message for adolescents is don’t be a bystander. There are three parties to bullying: the victim, the perpetrator, and the bystander. If they witness bullying, they can stick up for the victim, offer support, and/or question bullying behaviors. You can prevent bullying by being inclusive, respectful and kind to your peers. So if you are reading this, seize the opportunity and become a cyberbullying warrior.
