NGO sees huge spike in online harassment cases

Akancha Against Harassment is helping victims approach the police and put an end to the bullying and threats

Online harassment has increased since the lockdowns began, according to an NGO working with victims.

Rape and death threats are becoming commonplace on the Internet, and Akancha Against Harassment, an NGO based in Mumbai, receives 20-25 serious complaints a day, twice the number it used to before the pandemic broke out.

“The online space has become the primary mode of communication. This is one of the reasons we’ve seen the spike. Another is that more people are reporting harassment now,” says Akancha Srivastava, founder.

Any action, especially repeated action, that makes one uncomfortable is harassment. It can be anything from someone forcing you to accept a friend request to a rape threat, she says.

Why reporting is low

“Most victims of online harassment are women and they are socially conditioned into silence. Many don’t know what constitutes harassment and want to avoid ‘making a scene’,” she says.

Chetna Pattnaik, student, recalls the time she received rape threats from a friend’s ex-boyfriend who believed she was the cause of the break-up. “This was back when I was in 11th grade. I put up screenshots of the threats on Facebook, and many common friends actually told me I was overreacting,” she says.

Advocate Karan Joseph, who has worked on multiple such cases, says women sometimes hesitate to complain as they know the harassers, and don’t sense an immediate danger.

“But regardless of the danger, a harassment is a crime that must be stopped and punished,” he says.

Once she started speaking about the harassment, Chetna received more threats from the boy’s friends. “This was even more scary because they knew where I lived. So I reported their accounts and went to the school authorities and the police,” she says.

Sometimes, the harassers are anonymous. “Even this deters women from reporting as they feel the police may not be able to help,” she says.

At other times there is a fear of the police. “There is a sense of shame and fear associated with visiting a police station. There’s also an overwhelming narrative that such cases don’t get solved. But while the system does leave a lot to be desired, all the cases we’ve handled have led to a conclusion,” Akancha says.

This was not the case for Chetna. “I did go to the police but they actively discouraged me from reporting. They said the process would be long and tried to convince me that a young girl shouldn’t be caught up in these procedures. They told me they would issue a warning to the boy,” she says.

The harassment stopped when Chetna told the boys she had gone to the police. “They immediately started apologising and said they were drunk then and that their careers would be ruined if it became a police case,” she says.
Akancha encourages women to report. “Not reporting only emboldens the harassers into thinking they can get away with it,” she says.

How to report

Akancha says the first step is to report to whatever online platform the abuse took place on. “This may not yield any results but it provides important documentation that you took action immediately,” she says.

Next, gather all the evidence you have -- screenshots of messages, call logs, profile of the harasser. Write down a detailed report of what happened, and with a timeline.

“Then report the matter on cybercrime.gov.in. You will get an acknowledgement of your complaint. Keep it safe and follow up,” she says.

Alternatively, the victim can go to the nearest station with all the details and file a complaint.

“Make sure you follow up and ask what action will be taken. If you’re on social media, put up a post and tag the authorities to ensure added added accountability,” she advises.

Joseph says a common complaint is that the process takes too long. But that is not so.“If the accused has committed the crime, a chargesheet is filed and the state takes up the case. The complainant will then only be called on as a witness and they won’t have to run the case themselves,” he explains. This means that if a case runs for a long time, the victim is called to court only to record a statement, and then for cross examination.

“And most of the time the simple act of filing the complaint itself stops the harassment, which is sometimes the biggest win,” he adds.

Need help?

Bengaluru police helpline - 94808 01554/ 080 2237 5522

Akancha Againt Harassment - [e-mail]

Cyber Saathi - www.cybersaathi.org