Articles
Sexual Abuse through Social Media
Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan | 14-Jul-2023
A few days ago, one of my friends shared with me some sad news. His college-going daughter was found to have had severe depression for almost a week. During the counseling, she revealed that she was being blackmailed by her classmate. She had posted her full-size photo on Facebook. Her classmate morphed that photo and sent it to her, demanding money and sexual favors. The girl was shocked to see an obscene photo of her face. Her classmate threatened her that he would make the photo public if she told her family or the police.
In February 2019, four men were arrested for allegedly blackmailing, sexually harassing, and filming a 19-year-old college student in Pollachi, a small town near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. The case snowballed into a major scandal after local media reported that not just one but a few hundred women were victims of an organized racket of sexual abuse, blackmail, and extortion. Compounding the horror, video clips of the alleged incidents, purportedly filmed by the accused, were also leaked within days of the media reports. Interrogation of the accused revealed that the racket has been running since 2013.
Based on the Pollachi incident, a Tamil movie titled "Etharkum Thuninthavan" (which means "person who dares to do anything") was made. This was telecast on July 9, 2023. I watched this film. The sad incident in my friend’s family and the movie bothered me so much that I did a brief study and wrote this to sensitize the readers. There is a widespread misconception that sexual abuse can occur only in person. Sexual abuse can and does happen on social media and in other online forums. It is also common for perpetrators of sexual abuse to make initial contact with their victims online and then progress to in-person abuse.
Adolescents use mobile phones and the web to interact with both known and unknown peers to establish and maintain social connections. Such communication platforms are free and relatively easy to use. Compared with adults older than 25 years, youth between 12 and 24 years of age are the most extensive users of new technology and are more likely to be connected to the virtual world, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, or ethnicity.
Taking the positive side into consideration, social networking sites allow users to connect with families and friends within seconds who reside far away from them through audio and video calls, chat rooms, and many other functions provided by them, which helps in bridging the gap between people.
The social networking sites also help in finding and providing appropriate employment and educational opportunities to those who find them. More importantly, social media is the easiest way to express opinions and views. Therefore, social media makes life accessible and enjoyable for people.
Nonetheless, social media also leads to social isolation, as face-to-face interaction has become minimal in times of pandemic. This, in turn, affects the mental, emotional, and psychological health of the people and causes anxiety, fear of missing out, depression, and many other issues. Privacy these days has become a matter of concern. The third party uses the private information of the individuals and commits cyber-bullying and cyber-theft among teenagers.
The spread of obscene content on social media makes youth vulnerable to these things. They lose their productivity by chatting online all day. Also, misinformation spreads faster than relevant information, which can be for any purpose, such as advancing enmity between various ethnic and religious groups or misleading people, and aggravates virtual hate crimes.
Sexual abusers often use a process called grooming," in which they pursue a relationship with their victims, particularly children, to gain trust, then progressively expose them to sexual matters. They may lie about their identity, particularly their age, as part of their attempts to ensnare victims. They may frequent online venues where minors gather or interact with topics of interest to young people as part of their strategy.
Secret-keeping is an essential part of victim grooming. An abuser may share sexually explicit imagery with their victim via social media as a way of establishing a "secret," and then use that as a basis for further interactions. Privacy has just remained a mere nomenclature. Almost all sites use cookie policies to detect the tastes and preferences of the user. In addition, the incidences of the publication of obscene material are increasing day by day.
In online spaces, groomers may also use blackmail, threatening to expose a victim’s intimate details if they do not comply with the perpetrator’s wishes. A groomer may also ply the victim with gifts or money and may threaten to cut off the gifts if the victim speaks out. Abusers may also emotionally manipulate the victim, preying on their need for affection and affirmation and telling the victim that others would keep them from seeing each other or be jealous of the relationship.
According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three females, and one in four males experience sexual abuse in their lifetimes. Many instances of sexual abuse against children and teens occur. While movements such as the #MeToo social media phenomenon have shed light on the prevalence of sexual harassment, abuse, and assault, many victims of sexual abuse still live with fear and shame.
Surprisingly, "India was the second most cyber-attacked country in Asia-Pacific in 2020", read the headline in The New Indian Express newspaper. India continues to remain vulnerable in this sector. This is not a good sign for a country with cyber-related laws. These laws are not exhaustive and, therefore, need reforms to meet the changing needs of the hour. Thus, it becomes a massive requirement to ensure cyber security when the world is moving towards global digitalization.
Helping victims overcome the harm caused by online sexual abuse begins with holding those responsible to account, as well as contacting a licensed therapist and law enforcement. Above all, we need to sensitize our youth to this social media crime. Prevention is better than cure
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(The Author is a columnist who writes on social and religious issues. Views expressed are personal)
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Isaac Gomes
14-Jul-2023
need to understand how various social media platforms work and watch out for unmonitored access to online devices and platforms. It’s wise to keep tabs on your teenager’s computer access, emails, and social media profiles. Signs of Sexual Assault Teenagers often struggle with an identity crisis as they learn to relate to their changing bodies, peers, and environment. It can become challenging for a parent to separate warning signs about their child’s sexual abuse from their everyday struggles. Your child may not tell you about their sexual ordeal. Instead, you may gradually note physical, emotional, and behavioral changes, indicating all is not well. As a rule of thumb, it’s better to question your child and be wrong than to ignore the effects of sexual assault. Here’s a list of warning signs that indicate you may need to reach out to your teen. Emotional signs include: • Aggressiveness and anger for no apparent reason • Marked sadness • Getting upset when you mention a particular person or place • Crying without any apparent reason • Nightmares • A drastic change in their self-esteem • Confusion over their sexual identity • Anxiety or panic attacks Changes in behaviour can also be a sign of sexual assault, including: • Dressing differently • Receiving gifts, clothes, jewelry, or electronics from an unknown source • Using drugs • Driving erratically • Eating less or more • Sleeping problems • Self-harming activities • Increasingly risky sexual behavior • Changing friendship groups • Avoiding particular individuals or places • Performing poorly in school • Skipping self-care routines Finally, changes in physical health may be signs of an assault, including: • Symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases • Swelling or redness on the genitals • Difficulty sitting or walking • Unexplained bruises or tears on their skin • Missed periods • Insomnia Here are several steps that you can take to prevent sexual abuse online for your teen: • Engage your child in ongoing conversations about the online world, safety precautions, and personal privacy • Educate your child on the dangers of cyber-bullying and sexting, which lead to online solicitation • Work with your child to establish the appropriate privacy settings for their social media accounts • Set privacy controls to monitor your child’s online activities to root out any perpetrators who may try to prey on them • Encourage your teenager to purchase items from reputable online companies while monitoring any orders placed on their social media accounts Reporting Online Sexual Assault If you have reason to believe your teen has been sexually assaulted online, contact your local law enforcement to report the incident. Be prepared to show proof in the form of screenshots, text messages, or other tangible evidence. Cyber Crime Helpline is 1930. For Filing a Complaint on National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, please refer to the link: https://cybercrime.gov.in/ Readers may also refer to the link: https://cybercrime.gov.in/Webform/FAQ.aspx