Cybercrimes against children rise, Karnataka sees highest figures

Karnataka reported the highest number of cybercrimes against children in 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report released on Monday. Out of 1,081 such incidents reported in India, the state accounts for 164 (15 per cent) cases.

The cases, involving 172 children, have been registered under the Cyber Crimes and Information Technology Act. This includes 57 incidents in Bengaluru.

The data shows that Karnataka is followed by Delhi (161) and Kerala (138).

In 2020, Karnataka had the second-highest number (144) of cases of cybercrime against children, after Uttar Pradesh (170).

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The increasing rates are particularly stark in comparison to the 2019 data, where 10 such cases had been reported in the state. Therefore, the 2020 figures showed a 1,340 per cent increase in the number of cases from 2019.

Experts caution that increased availability and unmonitored access to cyberspaces are leaving young people more vulnerable to such crimes. "Over the past few years, many children and adolescents got access to their own gadgets, with affordable and wireless internet connections. In the process, they became easy targets for criminals,” said Dr K John Vijay Sagar, Professor and Head, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Nimhans.

Cybercrimes against children can include phishing scams and financial fraud. “Irrespective of age and income group, children can fall prey to cybercrimes. Criminals often use fake identities to chat with children and get personal information from them. Sometimes, advertisements on social media and gaming websites include links that lead to malware. In other cases, children and adolescents unwittingly share their personal information or pictures online. We have seen this being misused by others to threaten and coerce children, leading to sexual abuse,” said Dr John.

Under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, cybercrime against children includes child pornography, cyberstalking, cyberbullying, defamation, grooming, hacking, identity theft, online child trafficking, online extortion, sexual harassment and violation of privacy.

Of the total 164 cases of cybercrime against children reported in Karnataka in 2021, 97 per cent involved the publishing and transmission of sexually explicit material that depicts children. This is in contrast to 2019, when such cases accounted for 20 per cent of all cybercrimes against children in the state.

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These reports are only the tip of the iceberg. "There are two categories of criminals in such cases. The first includes those who view explicit material involving children, and the second includes those who create and distribute such material. A majority of those reported are people viewing the material. Very few reported cases involve the perpetrators who are directly linked to the publishing and transmission of this content," said a police officer.

"As the access to information and technology increases, people are able to use reporting mechanisms to file complaints and register such cases," the officer said.

Ensuring that education, safety and policy measures are in place at various levels is the way forward. “Cybersafety needs to be part of school and college curricula. Schools need to have a cyber policy, and parents need to monitor the usage of devices by children. The legal implications of sharing sensitive information online should be discussed clearly with children,” Dr John said.