Keep 'em safe

It's amazing how the older we get, the more we reminisce about our childhood. Those carefree days of loafing with school or 'para' friends, climbing trees, buying lozenges from 'nukkad' stores, and curling up with books…sigh! What's there not to miss about those truly good ol', never-coming-back days. As any normal adult, I like to live vicariously through the young ones around me. Friends or neighbours' kids provide quite a bit of entertainment, and it's curious how their childhood is so different from ours; and so much more dangerous too.

When we were kids, our parents' greatest fear was kidnapping. The films were full of them, and in reality, too, there were quite a few stories across cities of attempted or failed kidnappings. I remember going into a stranger's home while on my back from school. I didn't know him from Adam but the man claimed to know my father. First, he hitched a ride in the cycle rickshaw that was taking me home, and then insisted that I come home. I went into the house that was at least a couple of kilometres from my home, only to have him and his wife fawn over me, before I carried on back home. This incident sure sent my parents into a tizzy, the rickshaw fellow was chastised and sacked, and I was scolded too. Couple of my friends escaped to tell the tale of strangers luring them with stories and chocolates before they realised something was amiss and scampered back home. But this was the extent of their fear. Today's parents have numerous situations to deal with.

With the easy access to mobile phones, internet, and social media pages, children are far more exposed and vulnerable than ever before. A recent study states that over 85 per cent Indian children have faced cyber bullying. This is the highest in the world, and should worry most parents and elders. If that wasn't enough, the McAfee Corp report goes onto note that not only are Indian kids the victims, they also bully the most in the world. To be elucidate, Indian children cyberbullied others twice the international average! About 45 per cent kids in our country claim to have cyberbullied a stranger as against 17 per cent globally. Another 48 per cent stated that they harassed someone they knew online as compared to 21 per cent worldwide.

The 10-country survey titled, 'Cyberbullying in Plain Sight', also explains the instances of cyberbullying in India. Spreading false rumours (39 per cent), being left out from groups or chats (35 per cent), and name calling (34 per cent) — comprise the top three trends of cyberbullying here. It's equally upsetting that 1 in every 3 Indian kids face "extreme" cyberbullying with racial slurs, sexual harassment, and threats of personal harm. Kids as young as 10 years of age have reportedly experienced cyberbullying and young girls between 10 and 16 years of age are most susceptible.

This trend is grave and there are many significant takeaways from it. Indian children perhaps have easier, longer, and unchaperoned access to the Internet. So many times, we have seen youngins peering into their parents' phones, oblivious to the world at large. Parents give kids unfettered access to their phones or buy them their own phones at an early age. Parental controls and locks are hardly exercised. Parents have used the easy availability of mobile devices and tablets as a distraction for children. A ruse that can lead to phone addiction, introduction to inappropriate violent or sexual content, cyberbullying, and trolling.

Social networks such as Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook etc. and online gaming platforms are hunting grounds for cyber trolls. Most children don't speak to their parents about facing cyberbullying, and most elders miss the signs, and/or don't know how to tackle the situation. With no adult intervention, the study says that many children are handling the online harassment by resorting to the same behaviour. Kids become bullies themselves and indulge in peer abuse. Unknowingly, bullying becomes a recurring pattern, making them cruel, abusive, aggressive, unempathetic, and finally, unhappy kids. Other kids, can over time, be prone to depression, anxiety, and panic attacks.

Parents, and other adults, need to be more aware about the travails of the virtual world. Schools must have awareness programs for kids showing the cons of cyberbullying, and encourage them to seek support. Staying alert about a youngster's change in moods and behaviours is most vital. Kids are not great at hiding things to the observant eye. It's also important to coax children to confide in you without fear of punishment. Children need to be told what behaviour is acceptable and what is not, even if it is on online platforms. Adults need to be a friend to kids, offering support, and understanding to help them open up about any ongoing reel or real harassment. Our children deserve a safe online world; alas, we can't control all that goes on, but we can surely monitor better.

The writer is an author and media entrepreneur. Views expressed are personal