by Ashis Sinha
In a shocking revelation, a recent study has unveiled the alarming prevalence of cyberbullying against women on social media platforms, with a staggering 95% of female users falling victim to online harassment. Moreover, the study also exposed a lesser-known aspect of the issue, with 5% of married women and girlfriends participating in cyberstalking activities targeting their boyfriends.
The study unearthed a multitude of disturbing messages and behaviours aimed at women on social media platforms. Messages such as “Hey, you’re incredibly gorgeous,” “Give me your WhatsApp number,” and “I love you” were just a few examples of unsolicited and often explicit messages received by women, regardless of their familiarity with the sender.
Renowned cyber security expert Deepak Kumar has provided insights into this distressing phenomenon. He emphasised that these conclusions were drawn from his extensive experience working with 20,000 female college students across 15 institutions in the country. The findings underscore the urgency of addressing online harassment as a critical issue affecting the lives and safety of women in the digital age.
“Women also do cyber stalking and cyberbullying,” said Deepak.
He said, a number of case studies conducted by experts in the field revealed disturbing messages and harassment that women regularly encounter on social media platforms. The messages range from unsolicited compliments to explicit requests for personal information, often accompanied by threats and attempts at manipulation.
“We have analyzed the data and found that on average, women receive 8 to 10 such messages every day, despite their clear disinterest in engaging with the senders. This relentless barrage of unwanted attention creates a daily challenge for women navigating the online world, forcing them to make decisions about whether to respond, block, or even report these harassers to the authorities,” he added.
The motives behind these messages are varied, with 80% of harassers seeking to pass their time, 60% aiming for sexual conversations, 40% hoping to secure a date, and 50% attempting to acquire the victim’s WhatsApp number.
Furthermore, 35% of these messages include unsolicited pornographic content, and disturbingly, individuals above the age of 60 are also involved in perpetrating such offences, often causing victims to lose their dignity and sometimes even substantial sums of money.
Notably, women are not only the recipients of such cyberbullying but also engage in cyberstalking activities, albeit at a lower rate of 5%. These actions are often initiated by wives or girlfriends curious about their partners’ interactions on social media. Such unsolicited advances occasionally end up in the inboxes of unsuspecting individuals, adding to the menace of online harassment.
Deepak said: the study also touched upon the dynamics of relationships formed on social media platforms, revealing that only a mere 0.01% of such relationships result in marriage. Additionally, 0.4% of women engage in online chats without ever meeting in person, while 0.3% enter into relationships that ultimately lead to breakups. Among these statistics, only 0.2% of women consume alcohol during their interactions with others online.
Cyberbullying and cyberstalking are not only unethical but also criminal offences, encompassing actions like stalking, threatening, spreading obscenity, and blackmail on the internet. These actions are subject to penalties under the IT Act, including imprisonment ranging from 3 to 10 years, and may also result in defamation cases.
In light of these alarming findings, experts have called for immediate technical updates on social media platforms to protect users. They argue that platforms should implement features similar to Instagram, where users cannot send consecutive messages unless reciprocated, effectively curtailing unwanted communication.
Additionally, social media companies have been urged to provide metadata reports under CRPC-91, revealing the origin of accounts and the associated IP addresses, which can assist in identifying and penalising the culprits behind online harassment.