BENGALURU: At a panel discussion on online safety, an inspector from the Karnataka State Police highlighted that children are involved, either as victims or accused, in at least three of every 3,000 cybercrime cases registered monthly.
Inspector of Cyber Crime, Shivarathna S, Karnataka State Police Training School, Channapatna, said, “In a month when we register 3,000 cases of cyber crime, it involves at least three children either as victims or accused.”
She was speaking at a panel discussion titled ‘The Circle of Safety’, organised by Parihar of the Bengaluru City Police on Tuesday, November 25.
She explained, “While these children unknowingly become victims or accused in the cyber crime, we have noticed a wide gap in creating awareness among children by educational institutions and parents at home. There is no awareness about online safety among children. Restricting children from using mobile phone or social media will not help; parents and teachers must tell the adverse impact it will have on them. Just like the CBSE board has been creating awareness about sugar consumption and its impact among children, it is high time that they take some serious steps to create awareness about online safety, the IT Act, the Juvenile Justice Act 2015, and the POCSO Act 2012.”
Citing cases she has recently come across, she said, “In the recent past, there is an increase in the number of cases where children become victims to cyber bullying or they are accused because they are not aware that it is an offence. There are cases of cyber stalking, morphing videos especially of female students, sharing pornographic content on various social media groups, and victims to cyber tipline cases.”
Rathna said there must be conscious social media usage among adults so that children learn the same from teachers and parents. “It is a dangerous trend that most children use social media due to peer pressure. There are no strict regulations on the age of the user on social media. Children can enter fake date of birth and age to create an account on social media. Since social media platforms are money-making medium, there are no restrictions on data sharing including pictures on the internet across the globe. There is a need to help them understand not to share private photos or data on the internet, keeping the profile private by making changes in the settings. There is a need to help them understand that the legal framework is too complicated to take down vulgar videos or photos of an individual once they become viral on the internet,” she said.
Meanwhile, child rights activist Nagasimha Rao, another panellist, said, “Teachers must create a sense of ownership among children in schools. Only then, issues like cyber bullying, corporal punishment and more can be addressed at schools.”
Byatha N. Jagadeesha, advocate, and Geetha Mala T R, member of the Child Welfare Committee, Bengaluru Urban, stressed that it is important for parents to follow the laws so that children also imitate them and remain disciplined.