Online Abuse among College Students

Context:

This article is expressing concerns about the technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV), which is a growing problem mainly affecting college students across India.

Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence (TFSV): 

• It is an unwanted or unwelcome sexual behavior involving the use of technology, including online sexual harassment, online gender or sexuality-based harassment, online image-based abuse (“revenge porn”), and online sexual aggression/coercion.

Few Associated Terms:

• Morphed Images: Manipulated or altered images where someone’s face is placed onto explicit or inappropriate content without their consent. 
  • Example: Photoshopping someone’s face onto a pornographic image and sharing it online. 
• Sexualized Blackmailing: Using explicit material to coerce or manipulate someone into doing something against their will. 
  • Example: Threatening to distribute intimate photos unless the victim engages in sexual acts or pays a certain amount of money. 
• Bullying: Harassing, intimidating, or humiliating someone based on their gender or sexuality using technology. 
  • Example: Sending derogatory messages, spreading rumors, or creating hate pages targeting a person for their sexual orientation. 
• Digital Flashing: Sending unsolicited explicit images or videos to someone without their consent. 
  • Example: Forwarding explicit photos to someone’s inbox or social media accounts without their permission.
• Rape Threats: Explicit messages or comments threatening someone with sexual violence or rape.
  • Example: Sending a message stating, “I will find you and rape you.” to intimidate and instill fear in the recipient. 
• Explicit Comments and Messages: Sending sexually suggestive or vulgar content or messages without consent. 
  • Example: Sending graphic sexual content or explicit language to someone via direct messages on a social media platform without their invitation or interest. 

Concerns with TFSV:

• Various Forms: TFSV can take many forms, such as morphed nude images, sexualised blackmailing and bullying, digital flashing, rape threats, and explicit comments and messages.
• High Penetration: It has its penetration over every social media and messaging platform.
• Forever Presence: Abuse is linked to an individual’s name and online profile, and can remain on the Internet forever. 
• Mental Illness: Many survivors experience depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. 
• Tangible Consequences: Many survivors experience loss of academic or career prospects, social isolation, and violence and rejection by one’s own family. 
  • Meanwhile, abusers hide behind anonymity.
• Ambiguity in Legislation: India’s IT Act of 2000 criminalizes some forms of TFSV, but ambiguities in the law can deter survivors from reporting. 
• Lack of Motivation by Social Media: Social platforms are unmotivated to overhaul their safety features beyond the bare minimum.
  • Example: India has the most Facebook users in the world, yet Meta has not optimized its platforms for an Indian context.
• Not Strict Implementations by the Institutions of higher education (IHEs): IHEs are a crucial intervention point for online harassment of students, but many institutions struggle to form, train, and manage the Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs). 
  • Even if an ICC finds a student guilty of sexual harassment, there is no guarantee that higher authorities will hold them accountable.
• Other Related Factors: Aside from gender, factors like caste, religion, sexual orientation, class, and region heightened the vulnerability. 

Way Forward:

• Discussions: Openly discussing TFSV without shaming or blaming survivors is an essential step to improve India’s levels of sexual violence to remove the barrier of stigmatisation. 
• Awareness: As our world becomes increasingly digital, the issue of TFSV grows more urgent by the day. Raising widespread awareness of TFSV and implementing solutions is vital while the problem is still within our control.
  • Grassroots solutions like hosting regular workshops, safety training, facilitated discussions, and designating student organizations to lead education and response efforts. 
  • Legal regulations already mandate that IHEs conduct gender sensitisation programmes and empower students to engage their community. 
• Anonymous Helplines: Schools must provide anonymous helplines and reporting options, mental health services from trained counselors.
• Legislation Backing: With the upcoming Digital India Act, the government has an opportunity to strengthen its regulations for technology platforms and compel social media companies to take accountability.
• Adequate Funding: The implementation of related measures should be prioritized with adequate allocation of funds.
• More Research: Further research on how TFSV impacts other marginalized identities is crucial to solving the issue.
• Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs): All IHEs must have Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) to investigate incidents of sexual harassment with strict implementation, transparency and accountability.

News Source: The Hindu