85 per cent Indian kids victims of cyber bullying: Report

BENGALURU: A shocking 85 per cent of Indian children are victims of cyber-bullying, the highest in the world, according to a report released by McAfee recently. The report observed that 45 per cent of these children were bullied by strangers and 48 per cent by people known to them.

“Cyber-bullying in India reaches alarming highs as more than one in three kids face cyber racism, sexual harassment and threats of physical harm as early as at the age of 10 - making India the number one nation for reported cyber-bullying in the world,” said Gagan Singh, Chief Product Officer, McAfee.
Indian children reported cyber-bullying up to 1.5 times more than children in other countries across 14 surveyed platforms, ranging from Facebook and Instagram to Snapchat and WhatsApp. The one exception is TikTok, which remains banned in India.

Experts say that more people are facing cyber-bullying due to the anonymity the internet provides to its users which results in victims of bullying feeling anxious, depressed, isolated and fearful. Trolling, personal attacks, sexual harassment and doxing are the most common cyber-bullying tactics.

The number of users has risen due to the pandemic. Without appropriate know-how and online etiquette, people take to the Internet and tend to misuse the anonymity that the platform offers without taking any responsibility, explained Nirali Bhatia, a cyberpsychologist.

Echoing Nirali’s views, a cyber-security analyst said that people often get swayed online. There have to be ways to sensitise people to use the platform wisely and to stay secure. Despite the safety provisions in place, lack of awareness leads to such incidents many times.

“There should always be zero trust on the internet, no matter who you speak to, always verify and do not trust anyone blindly”, explained Nirali. She added that every activity of the user on the internet becomes a part of their digital footprint. The users must learn the rules and code of conduct. Also, people should stand up against online harassment and not stay silent as it gives the offender more courage to continue harassing others on the web.