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Child pornography has suddenly spiked up amid the current lockdown due to Coronavirus pandemic. Dr Nabanita analyses the increase in crime against children. An exclusive for Different Truths.
For the past few days, the Indian news media has been abuzz with concern regarding child pornography that has suddenly spiked up amid the current lockdown. People with a distorted sense of entertainment as well as entitlement, cooped within four walls, with a lot of time to access the internet and nothing better to do, might have led to this sudden jump. But this also brings us to the very important question of perversity among individuals and its pervasiveness within our society. On the one hand, it increases the threat to our children manifold, on the other, it leads to an unhealthy mental and sexual health of the society.
…this also brings us to the very important question of perversity among individuals and its pervasiveness within our society. On the one hand, it increases the threat to our children manifold, on the other, it leads to an unhealthy mental and sexual health of the society.
While the countries across world try their best to fight the deadly virus, women and children, the vulnerable sections of our society have to face newer threats every moment. There has been a steep rise in the distress calls in the helplines for women and child, which the media had been reporting since a few days into the lockdown. What is it that spikes pornographic tendency among people? What is it that makes humans indulge in one of the most heinous crimes? Children who should be nurtured and protected for a meaningful future are being exposed by a group of criminals to a life of darkness, being maimed psychologically, emotionally and at times even physically for the rest of their lives.
Thanks to the internet, pornographic videos are now easily available. What was at one point of time difficult to access and had to be procured on the sly has now become something just a click away. Various laws and punishment against child pornography notwithstanding, the anonymity of the web helps the perpetrators go scot free. In a UNICEF publication, the reasons for such abundance of child pornography have been very well elucidated. It says, “Advances in technology allow offenders to remain anonymous, cover their digital tracks, create false identities, pursue many victims at once and monitor their whereabouts. The increased use of mobile devices and greater access to broadband internet has made children more accessible than ever through unprotected social media profiles and online game forums. Offenders often begin grooming their victims on these platforms, where they gain a child’s attention or trust, before moving the communication to video- and photo-sharing platforms, which can lead to content-driven or financially driven extortion or meeting offline”.
In a UNICEF publication, the reasons for such abundance of child pornography have been very well elucidated. It says, “Advances in technology allow offenders to remain anonymous, cover their digital tracks, create false identities, pursue many victims at once and monitor their whereabouts…”
In India, Child Pornography has been exclusively dealt with under Section 67B of the
Information Technology Act, 2008. Depicting children engaged in sexually explicit act, creating text or digital images or advertising or promoting such material depicting children in obscene or indecent manner etc. or facilitating abusing children online or inducing children to online relationship with one or more children etc. come under this Section. Punishment for the first conviction is imprisonment for a maximum of five years and fine of ten lakh rupees and in the event of subsequent conviction with imprisonment of seven years and fine of ten lakh rupees.
In another recent move, a committee formed in Rajya Sabha under the chairmanship of Jai Ram Ramesh, made forty recommendations to prevent sexual abuse of children and contain access to and transmission of child pornography content on social media. While the government, NGOs, legal bodies and other concerned people are trying to contain this evil, this lockdown period to fight the pandemic, which is in reality not a time for entertainment but responsible behavior, sees a steep rise in viewership of pornographic materials.
In another recent move, a committee formed in Rajya Sabha under the chairmanship of Jai Ram Ramesh, made forty recommendations to prevent sexual abuse of children and contain access to and transmission of child pornography content on social media.
The cloak of anonymity and ease of availability are the two factors that make child pornography so luring in the digital world. Holding one’s mobile in a palm, one is not as likely to be discovered as he would otherwise be when using a magazine or watching it from CD. It is also easy to put on a different persona and distance oneself from one’s accepted, respectable social appearance when one is surfing the internet. Hence, says Mary L Pulido of The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in an article in Huffington Post that for these reasons, often individuals who suffer from inadequacy, with problems related to adult intimacy, or even themselves victims of sexual abuse in childhood take to child pornography. She goes on to add a very vital perspective to this saying, ‘adults who view child pornography have varied reasons for doing so, but with each view, a child is irreparably harmed.’ And that is which remains one of the gravest concerns across the world.
In today’s world, while we are becoming more and more technology dependent, and our children live in a digital era, such rise in internet child pornography is a matter of grave concern. Parents are under constant pressure to monitor the viewing habit of their wards. But what happens in cases where parents are not aware enough either due to lack of resources or awareness? Children have a greater chance of falling in the traps laid by the perpetrators.
Gargi Saha, Child Protection Officer, United Nations Fund says, “Children spending more time on activities online are becoming more vulnerable to various kinds of Cybercrimes like cyber bullying, sexting, grooming, cyber trafficking, etc. We need to ensure that parents are well aware and keep a strict monitoring.”
Gargi Saha, Child Protection Officer, United Nations Fund says, “Children spending more time on activities online are becoming more vulnerable to various kinds of Cybercrimes like cyber bullying, sexting, grooming, cyber trafficking, etc. We need to ensure that parents are well aware and keep a strict monitoring.” She suggests discussions to create awareness among all the stakeholder like parents, guardians, teachers and children and draws attention to NCPCR that has issued a new set of Guidelines for the parents and children on Cyber Security. She goes on to add that the “Police plays a very critical role and we must report any such cases to the Police- Cyber cell, which are located in every districts. So, please don’t be afraid to reach out to police for further investigations into any such cases.”
As we stay locked within our doors, forced by the evergrowing threats of the virus, as the whole world comes together to fight this unprecedented crisis, we also face several ancillary problems not at all less dangerous than the COVID-19. Studies have shown that violence against women and children increase after any disaster and this rising trend of child pornography is an indicator to that. It once again highlights our insensitivity, the inhumanity of our race which does not spare its own children and creates a vicious circle of sexual abuses, causing a dent in the social security and well-being. While internet is the boon most of us are using for social connect in these days of physical distancing, it is also leading us to such terrifying issues. Hence more stringent cyber laws, swift punishment and stronger cyber security are the only way forward. Till then, the onus is on the parents and teachers to ensure their children a safe life.
References:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/exploring-why-offenders-v_b_9330296
https://www.unicef.org/publications/files/SOWC_2017_ENG_WEB.pdf
Photos from the Internet
Wonderful brief analysis of growing negativity of the perverted minds when the world is witnessing unprecedented tragic situation all over the world.