Do you find your child to be crankier off late or too addicted to the smartphone or desktop? Has he/she become more insular and refuses to socialize? As parents, it can be quite concerning to notice these sudden, unnatural changes in their child’s behavior. Beware! Your child may be experiencing one of the different types of cyber bullying.
Read on to know the types of cyber bullying and how to report cyber bullying in India.
What is Cyber Bullying?
Cyber bullying is the harassment or bullying executed through digital devices like computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. The platforms where cyber bullying can occur include social media, chat rooms, and gaming platforms where people can view and participate in the sharing of content.
The different types of cyber bullying involve causing humiliation through hateful comments on online platforms/apps, or through SMS or messaging. It comprises posting, sending or sharing negative, nasty or false information about another individual for causing humiliation and character assassination.
Different Types of Cyber Bullying
A cognizance of the different types of cyber bullying is necessary. This enables parents and young adults to report cyber bullying and adopt measures to prevent cyber bullying. Following are some of the common types of cyber bullying:
- Posting hurtful, nasty or humiliating rumors or comments about an individual online
- Publishing an embarrassing or nasty photo or video
- Creating a fake or nasty webpage about another individual
- Issuing online threats provoking an individual to kill themselves or hurt someone else
- Triggering religious, racial, ethnic or political vitriol online by posting hate comments or content
- Faking an identity online to ask for or post personal or fake information about someone
Also, one should be aware of “doxing” here. It is a practice prevalent on the Internet for researching and publishing personal information about an individual. One obtains information from the person’s social media accounts and other online profiles. It is then used for online harassment, online defamation and other forms of cyber bullying.
Cyber Bullying in India
With increasing availability of affordable data services and social media presence, cyber bullying in India has witnessed an alarming rise.
According to research conducted by Symantec, nearly 8 out of 10 individuals are subject to the different types of cyber bullying in India. Out of these around 63% faced online abuses and insults, and 59% were subject to false rumors and gossips for degrading their image.
The same study ranks India as the country facing the highest cyber bullying in the Asia Pacific region, more than Australia and Japan.
In fact, 50% of women residing in prime Indian cities are a victim of online abuse, according to a survey by Feminism.
Spurred by the increasing cases of cyber bullying in India, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched a distinct helpline (complaint-mwcd@gov.in) to report cyber bullying, online harassment, and cyber defamation, particularly against women and children.
Some Horrifying Incidents of Cyber Bullying in India
In November 2017, an MBBS student in Kerala jumped to her death from the highest floor of her college building. An examination of her Facebook profile showed her displeasure over the nasty comments made one of her peers. Police suspect that cyber bullying provoked her to take this extreme step.
In February 2017, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) attacked students at a literary event in Delhi’s Ramjas College.
At that time, little did a 20-year-old student from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi, imagine that her online campaign against the violence would change her life forever? The student, Gurmehar Kaur, has ever since been trolled and abused extensively on social media platforms. Worse still, she has even been receiving death and rape threats!
This is just another example of the ugly state of cyber bullying in India. Sadly, each day yet another innocent life is subject to online torments and cyber bullying in India.
Prevent Cyber Bullying
Tip 1 to Prevent Cyber Bullying – Be Wary of Your Child’s Online Activities
In this digital era, children are growing up with technology at their fingertips. Thus, different types of cyber bullying have become a household occurrence. Teenagers and adolescents are more vulnerable to cyber bullying as they have limited understanding of the good and the bad.
As a parent, it is your responsibility to be aware of your child’s online activities in order to prevent cyber bullying. Be cognizant of the apps and digital media that your child is using. It is imperative that you ensure that your child engages more in offline activities than an addiction to computers, online gaming, and smartphones.
Tip 2 to Prevent Cyber Bullying – Watch out for These Signs
The following are some warning signs that your child is being cyber bullied or is cyber bullying others.
- Considerable increase or decrease in your child’s usage of a mobile, laptop or tablet
- Display of emotional responses such as sadness, anger or happiness to the activities on their device
- The tendency to avoid discussion on their online activities
- Hiding of the device screen when others are close by
- Indifference to social activities and gatherings, and outdoor activities
- Sudden deactivation of their social media accounts or opening of new ones
- Becoming depressed and withdrawn
Tip 3 Steps to Prevent Cyber Bullying – Steps to Take in the Aftermath
If you observe any of the aforesaid warning signs, it may indicate your ward’s involvement in some form of cyber bullying.
In the unfortunate event of your child experiencing cyber bullying, it is essential that you take prompt steps to show your support as well as report cyber bullying. The following are some of the things that you can do in case your child or kin is a victim of cyber bullying.
Observe
Notice if there is any abnormal change in the behavior or mood. Try to self-investigate the causes and note if these changes usually take place during the use of digital devices.
Conversation
Don’t try to sound too prying or demanding, but gently engage your ward in a conversation. Take him/her into confidence and try to understand what is happening, when it all started and who are all involved?
Record
Try to maintain a record of the online activities. If possible, take screenshots of any offensive or harmful content or post. In any case, evidence of online activities is mandatory when reporting cyber bullying.
Report
Most social media platforms have clear guidelines in place to report cyber bullying. Social media platforms can help you in having the offensive post removed. To report cyber bullying in India, you can send your complaint to complaint-mwcd@gov.in. Immediately register a complaint with the police in case your child is receiving sexual or physical threats, or you sense an illegitimate activity or crime underway.
Support
Recovering from the trauma of cyber bullying can be time-taking and hard. In such cases, the victim needs support and guidance. It could come from parents, peers, family members or teachers. If required, seek the help of a professional counselor.
Report Cyber Bullying in India
An act of cyber bullying can be reported at the cyber crime cell of any city, regardless of the place where the act was committed. Cyber bullying or cyber defamation of any kind is considered as a cyber crime and the laws covering them come under the Information Technology Act.
The detailed steps of registering a cyber crime complaint to report are in our Blog: How to File a Cyber Crime Complaint in India. It shall also give you the complete list of the cyber crime cells in India along with their contact details.
Anti-Cyber Bullying Laws in India
Cyber bullying in India has reared its ugly head in more ways than one and it is only getting worse with every passing day. However, it is shocking that there are no special Anti-Cyber Bullying Laws in India yet. Following are some cyber laws though that cover some of the acts classified as cyber bullying in India.
Sec.66A – Sending offensive messages through communication service, etc.
Sec.66C – Identity Theft
Sec.66D – Cheating by personation by using the computer resource
Sec.66E – Violation of privacy
Sec.67B – Punishment for publishing or transmitting of material depicting children in any sexually explicit act, etc. in electronic form
Sec.72 – Breach of confidentiality and privacy
Sec.503 Indian Penal Code (IPC) – Sending threatening messages through email
Sec.509 IPC – Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman
Sec.499 IPC – Sending defamatory messages through email
Sec .500 IPC – Email Abuse
Incognito Forensic Foundation (IFF Lab) – Your Partner in Fighting Cyber Bullying
Incognito Forensic Foundation (IFF Lab) is a private forensic laboratory in Bangalore and Chennai that offers consultation and digital forensic services for cyber bullying. If you need any guidance on how to prevent cyber bullying or report cyber bullying in India, IFF Lab is there to assist you.
IFF Lab has a state-of-the-art digital forensics laboratory that houses the latest digital forensics tools and technologies. This enables them to join hands with Law Enforcement Agencies for investigating cases of online defamation and cyber bullying.
Contact us for Cyber Bullying Consultation and Investigation
Related Posts
December 27, 2019
Importance of Digital Forensics in India
December 14, 2019
6 Types of Hackers
November 8, 2019
List of 15 Most Powerful Forensic Tools
October 22, 2019
Top 5 Tips to Identify a Phishing Email
September 30, 2019
The 5 Latest Cyber Security Technologies for Your Business
September 2, 2019
A Handy Guide on How to Report Online Harassment of Women
January 4, 2019
The World of Deepfakes – How can Deepfakes Impact Elections?
December 21, 2018
What is Cyber Insurance? Do you Need Cyber Insurance?
November 20, 2018
The 5 Biggest Data Breaches of 2018
November 9, 2018
Prospects of an Ethical Hacking Career in India
October 25, 2018
Top 5 Types of Cybercrimes – Tips for Cybercrime Prevention
September 15, 2018
8 Handy Tips to Avoid Mobile Phone Scams Like a Pro
September 6, 2018
Be Aware of Olx Scams – Tips to Buy Safely on Olx
August 31, 2018
The Latest Weapon of Online Child Abuse – The Momo Challenge
August 18, 2018
Hard Drive Data Recovery – Top Causes of Hard Drive Crash
May 31, 2018
Your Quick Guide to the Cyber Laws in India
May 16, 2018
How Safe Are Voice Activated Assistants?
May 2, 2018
Busting the Myths About Facebook’s Data Use
April 24, 2018
How to File a Cyber Crime Complaint in India
April 11, 2018
How to Avoid and What to Do After a Data Breach?
April 3, 2018
5 unbelievable things that can get hacked!
March 21, 2018
7 Major Causes of a Data Breach
March 14, 2018
The 10 Basic Steps of Forensic Photography
March 5, 2018
Cyberwarfare – The new-age warfare
February 16, 2018
10 things that hackers can do by hacking into your smartphone
February 6, 2018
5 Infamous Cases Solved Using Early Forensics
January 24, 2018
Why Cyber Security should be Digital India’s foremost priority
January 19, 2018
All that you need to know about Forensic Photography
December 20, 2017
Thinking of which career to choose? How about Forensic Science?
December 10, 2017
How Fake News is the trending & booming dark net business
December 1, 2017
Top 10 cyber crimes in the history of cyber attacks
November 23, 2017
Seeking a Partner Online? Ensure your safety with these tips
November 17, 2017
Beware! Dating someone? Are you sure about your partner?
November 13, 2017
How healthcare IoT is vulnerable to cyber security threats
November 7, 2017
5 things a student should know about an Advance Fee Scam
November 6, 2017