Over 400 per cent rise in cybercrime cases committed against children in 2020: NCRB data

Over 400 per cent rise in cybercrime cases committed against children in 2020: NCRB data

NEW DELHI: More than 400 per cent increase in cybercrime cases committed against children was reported in 2020 in comparison to 2019, with most of them relating to publishing or transmitting of materials depicting children in sexually explicit act, according to the latest NCRB data.
Top five states reporting cyber crimes against children are: Uttar Pradesh (170), Karnataka (144), Maharashtra (137), Kerala (107) and Odisha (71), the National Crimes Record Bureau data stated.
Among the 842 cases of online offences, 738 cases were about publishing or transmitting materials depicting children in sexually explicit act.
As the NCRB 2020 data reveals, there is a sharp rise (over 400 per cent) in cyber crimes (registered under the Information Technology Act) committed against children in comparison to the last year.
In 2019, 164 cases of cyber crimes against children were reported while in 2018, 117 cases of cyber crimes were committed against children and 79 such cases were registered in 2017.
Even though the number of cybercrime cases committed against children in 2020 remain small, its rise from 2019 is alarming.
Puja Marwaha, CEO, CRY-Child Rights and You, said while spending more time on internet for accessing education and other communication purposes, children have also become more vulnerable to multiple risks, particularly in the contexts of online sexual abuse, grooming or sexual solicitation, sexting, exposure to pornography, production and circulation of child sexual abuse material, cyber-bullying, online harassment and cyber-victimisation, and many other privacy-related risks.
“While there is little evidence to ascertain the scale of the impact of the epidemic containment measures on online abuse and exploitation of children, closure of schools and children’s increased exposure to the online space may have had serious implications on the increased online risks experienced by them,” she added.
During the Covid pandemic, measures taken to contain the spread of the pandemic have resulted in closure of schools and movement to virtual learning environments.
Children also spent more time online for entertainment, social and educational purposes, whilst not necessarily being aware of any associated risks.
According to the UNICEF report (2020), 13 per cent of children and people aged 25 years or less in South Asia accessed the internet at home.
The report also states that in lower-middle income countries only 14 per cent school-age children (3-17 years) have internet access at home.
However, there is no conclusive data available in the public domain to ascertain the numbers of children accessing the internet for education and other purposes across India, especially during the pandemic.
The UNICEF (2020) report, however, estimated that during the Covid pandemic around 37.6 million children across 16 states in India continued education through various remote learning initiatives such as online classrooms and radio programmes.
Marwaha said due to lockdown and closure of schools, limited opportunity for socialisation has also affected the psycho-social well-being of children.
—PTI

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