HYDERABAD: Sexual exploitation has shamefully evolved from “ancient” forms such as child marriages, sexual abuse etc to online sexual harassment and has put our children at greater risk, according to a newly released report by ECPAT International, a global network of civil society organisation in South Asia.
The report highlighted concerns on how sexual exploitation and trafficking has become the norm in many societies.
Padmavati Pamarthy, head of Kasthurba Hospital for women said, “Smartphones are now available at throwaway prices with a camera feature and Internet is also offered free by many telecom providers and therefore children in urban and rural areas are at risk. We have received a lot of complaints from employees who have complained about their photo being taken without their permission and then they are blackmailed. Young children are bound to get scared if their private photos are threatened to be leaked on websites. It is easy to upload photos on many websites as well.”
The two worrying trends of online sexual exploitation is the production of child sexual abuse material and sexual harassment and extortion done online that largely affects girls.
Facebook is no longer the only online social media platform for obscene content being spread. Mohammed Imtiyaz, district child protection officer, says most of these online applications require only a phone number and no other login details, which makes it easily accessible.
“Parental supervision on the mobile phones of children has drastically come down. The online world is huge and many join from a young age. Constant exposure to what is beyond your age can either make you a victim or the abuser if one is not guided or controlled at a young age.”
Psychologist Dr Priya Reddy says that mostly, students are exploited by strangers who they have contacted through social media.
“So when a crisis situation crops up, they cannot talk aloud about it. That fear is costly. Sometimes these young children are blackmailed by their peers with the threat that their private photos will be leaked online,” she said.
Children should know that because of growing safety concerns, it is easy to take down a post in circulation or nab the wrongdoer if parents and law makers are notified early.
Easy access to internet can increase abuse
Street-type harassment is no longer the only form of sexual harassment plaguing youngsters. The ECPAT report states that a large amount of indecent material is now available online.
“Free Internet enables easy downloads and an open network makes it difficult to trace uploads. It is against the law to upload someone else's photos online without consent and victims should come forward and complain about it,” says a senior CCS police official.
Varsha Bhargavi, organiser for ‘I Will Go Out Collective,’ said, “There used to be a class factor in sexual abuse online as only children from urban areas had exposure to internet and cell phones. But now the scenario have changed as youngsters in the rural areas too have the same exposure. All the data circulated online these days spread a misconception about sex and sexuality. It shows dominance and also sexual acts performed without mutual consent.
Overexposure to the same leads to blackmail.” Police officials will be conducting awareness campaigns against online sexual abuse to encourage young children to speak up against it.
The report also states that terms such as child pornography, child sex tourism and child prostitution should not be used as it lends a feeling of normalcy and legitimacy, implying that the child has provided some degree of consent. "There is really a barrier against boys reporting sexual abuse. They also suffer online and we have seen blackmail cases that are saddening. Most families deny sexual abuse of boys as the report rightly pointed out therefore even if boys gather enough courage and open up to their parents, it falls on deaf ears which leaves them with no choice but to give in to the perpetrator," says the police official.
