Registration of cybercrimes against children in Madhya Pradesh has reported a huge surge in the past five years – with the number of cases going up from only three in 2018 to 147 in 2022, an analysis of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data by NGO Child Rights and You (CRY), shows.
CRY has said that the reason for the 4,800 per cent surge could be attributed to increased exposure of children to online mediums during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as awareness on the issue that leads to more cases being reported to police.
The analysis of CRY, released on eve of the Safer Internet Day (February 6), further shows that Madhya Pradesh reports the third highest cases of cybercrime against children in India. More than 90 per cent of these cases are related to ‘publishing or transmitting material depicting children in sexually explicit act’.
Madhya Pradesh reported 147 cases out of a total of 1,360 cases reported across the country, where children have been victims of cybercrime in 2022. Karnataka and Rajasthan with 239 and 161 cases lead the tally of cybercrimes against children, the analysis shows.
“Within just the span of five years, the scenario of cybercrime against children in the state has drastically changed. The fear that the COVID pandemic may have left children far more exposed to various online education and other entertainment platforms – which in effect tended to increase risks for children manifested at multiple levels – has been vindicated by the current NCRB data. Constant efforts made by the government as well as civil society organizations to create awareness on the issue is another reason behind the steep rise in the number of cases in 5 years,” Soha Moitra, Regional Director, CRY said.
Cyber pornography, hosting or publishing obscene sexual materials depicting children are major concerns. “The usage of the internet among the masses has grown exponentially over the years. While this growth opens up massive avenues of opportunities for people, children becoming victims of heinous crime like cyber pornography raises serious concerns on online safety of children,” Moitra added.
‘98% parents refuse to report online sexual exploitation of kids’
Meanwhile, a study jointly conducted by CRY and CNLU (Chanakya National Law University), Patna, to understand the nature and extent of online threats during COVID times revealed that 78 per cent of teachers from Madhya Pradesh who participated in the study reportedly witnessed some behavioural changes in children indicating the possibility of having been exploited and abused.
The study ‘POCSO and Beyond: Understanding Online Safety during COVID’ was released in 2023. It claimed 99 per cent involved in the study admitted that they were unaware of the online content their children viewed. Additionally, 91 per cent have no apprehensions about their children using electronic devices and spending time online.
Also, 98 per cent of the parents refused to report if their children were subjected to online child sexual exploitation and abuse, with only two per cent agreeing to lodge a police complaint, the study showed. Furthermore, none of the parents reported being aware of any laws related to online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Expressing concern over this trend, Moitra said: “It’s concerning to see that parents are not considering to report online child sexual exploitation and abuse with their children. The above findings indicate a large information gap and low trust in legal and law enforcement institutions among parents. There is a great need to spread awareness about existing cyber security systems”.
While keeping children away from online platforms is certainly not an option, there is a need for more stringent mechanisms to track down the offenders and sanitize the space for the younger generations.
Easy access to the internet and uncontrolled usage of social media have increased online exposure for children with less or no supervision of parents, thereby making it easier for the online perpetrators to identify the victims, get access to their details and connect to the victims to lure them followed by the commission of the offence, Moitra said.
“In the last six months, CRY reached out to more than 50,000 children across the nation through its cyber safety awareness programme ‘Cyber Smart Heroes’. More than 400 children of MP were also part of this programme. The experiences shared by children during the sessions revealed that online safety is an important protection aspect of well-being of children and youth,” Moitra said.
“While CRY recognises that the internet is a vital medium for the participation and expression of children, it is the duty of parents, communities, the state, and society at large to ensure that children are both protected and empowered to protect themselves from online addiction and threats,” she added.
