India Is 3rd Worst Affected Country By Cyber Bullying, Here’s What You Should Know About It

Police across the country are busy fighting the menace of cyber bullying. Many of the accused involved in the crime turn out to be millennials, who indulge into cyber bullying in order to take revenge from someone, while most of the victims of cyber bullying turn out to be girls. 

What constitutes cyber bullying?

According to cyber crime specialists, cyber bullying can take place in various ways. Some of the common forms are:

• Posting of hurtful or humiliating rumours or comments on Individuals.
• Publishing nasty photos or videos or embarrassing posts.
• Creating a fake or nasty webpage about another individual.
• Issuing online threats provoking individuals to kill themselves or hurting someone.
• The most dangerous one in Indian context is triggering religious, racial, ethnic or political hate comments or messages to elicit negative reactions.
• Faking self-identity to harass someone. 

India sees many cases of cyber bullying. The menace is said to be constantly increasing due to increasing access to technology, free internet plans, availability of digital devices cheaply. India must urgently fight cyber bullying because it has reached an alarming situation.

Experts believe that the probes into the matter because the technology is getting more sophisticated with every passing day. 

Moreover, with most of the workplaces in India are switching to digital operations. Therefore, there are more chances that people use this medium to bully others. 

A recent research study from Global Youth Online Behaviour Survey, conducted by Microsoft ranked India as the third highest in cyber bullying with 53 per cent of respondents mainly children, admitting to online bullying and falling only behind China and Singapore.

The Acts like 66A of the amended IT act is in place now. Dealing with cyber crime, related to cyber bullying is active, and the law is in place to punish cyber bullying offence to the level of 3 years of imprisonment.  

It’s becoming a social problem 

Experts believe that there should be a nationwide drive to sensitise people about cyber crimes and influence them for a better social behavior. 

A focused research is needed to find out the possible reasons and ways to deal with the menace. A focused research from psychologists can add fillip to the existing laws in the country, and more so will clarify the gravity of the offence and impact it has on the people. 

Research on this social menace needs to be done at school levels to curb cyber bullying and recommendations, as well as on anti cyberbullying  programmes  as  well as individual psychotherapy, to educate the students on cyber-ethics is also important. 

To conclude, like what Theodore Roosevelt, said, “it is not knowing what’s right doesn’t right, mean much unless you do what’s right”, and hence, the need of the hour is not nodding on the presence of cyber bullying, but mental health professionals, with their critical expertise needs to draw out community based approaches to curb this menace, with respect to Indian landscape.

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