Tackling cyberbullying needs special laws, say Indian experts

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) – As COVID-19 restrictions have forced classrooms to move online, instances of cyberbullying have also risen, putting young people at risk of online violence, said experts on the eve of the International Day against Violence and Bullying at School Including Cyberbullying on Thursday.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Nirali Bhatia, a cyberpsychologist and psychotherapist, said the pandemic has forced people to use cyberspace irrespective of right age and time.

“From communication to education to entertainment everything is now via cyberspace due to the lockdown scenarios and this has increased screen time for all young children. Spending more time on virtual platforms can leave children vulnerable to online sexual exploitation and grooming, as predators look to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.

Bhatia, who also runs an Anti-Cyberbullying Organization named CYBERBAAP (Cyberbullying Awareness Action and Prevention), said that a lack of face-to-face contact with friends and peers has heightened risk-taking which "exposes children to potentially harmful and violent content as well as greater risk of cyberbullying”.

She said that her organization has received over 5,000 bullying complaints in the initial 12 months of the pandemic with most victims being in the age group of 13-19 years.

According to an official statement released last year, at least 71 million children aged between 5-11 years had access to the Internet on the devices of their family members, constituting about 14 % of the total 500 million active Internet users in the country.

Quoting Internet and Mobile Association of India data, it said two-thirds of internet users in India are in the age group of 12-29 years.

- Acquaintances commit cyberbullying

N. S. Nappinai, a lawyer practicing at the Indian Supreme Court and founder of Cyber Saathi Foundation, a group that focuses on cyber safety, told Anadolu Agency that India is on the "same footing" as the rest of the world in grappling with issues of cyberbullying.

Noting that women and children have been "soft targets" even before the pandemic with "increased exposure and usage of digital platforms" she said that most cases of cyberbullying were committed by peers – children or young adults, acquainted with the victims.

While there are no specific laws to deal with cyberbullying cases, the provisions of the Information Technology Act adopted by the Indian Parliament in October 2000 are used to tackle such cases.

A study conducted by the Child Rights and You – New Delhi-based voluntary group – in 2020 found that in the national capital region (comprising New Delhi and nearby areas) 9.2 % of children from the total sample surveyed had experienced cyberbullying. Among them, only 50 % had reported it to teachers or guardians.

Nappinai said while the COVID-19 pandemic may have worsened the situation, the escalation in cases was bound to happen in the absence of an "effective deterrence".

She said that globally cyberbullying has been identified as "a serious physical and psychological threat, particularly to soft targets" such as women and children.

Demanding specific laws to combat this growing menace, she said that India is in the process of reviewing its cybercrime and cyber security laws.

"It needed a horrific crime in the US for a special law for cyberbullying to be proposed (Megan Meier Act). Whilst this proposal did not go to fruition, you now have several state laws in the US to deal with cyberbullying," said Nappinai.

"Similarly, India needs to evaluate special laws or provisions. Till then we continue to apply general provisions depending on the acts and constitution of the offense,” she added.

Bhatia maintains that stringent policies for the intermediaries were required to ensure that their platforms comply with the law-and-order system and take strict action against the online perpetrators.

- Requires awareness

But at the society level, she stressed that awareness is the only way to prevent it.

“Due to lockdown enforced by COVID-19, everything, be that communication, education, or entertainment has gone online. This has increased screen time for all young children. Spending more time on virtual platforms has the potential to leave children vulnerable to online sexual exploitation,” she said.

She said children need to be made aware of the consequences of indulging in certain inappropriate behavior online, accessing or circulating sexually abusive content.

She added that while the policies have been proposed at the government level, implementation needs to be sped up.

"Internet has penetrated every single corner of the nation. Hence cyber safety awareness also needs to be stepped up across the country reaching rural and remote areas as well," Bhatia added.