Cyber stalking

Only fast redress and immediate legal recourse can ensure web safety

Incidents of internet stalking are increasing at a rapid rate in Bangladesh. In the overwhelming majority of the cases women and young girls are the victims. For all the wondrous possibilities of the internet, the anonymity it offers can bring out some of the worst impulses in certain men. Apparently online spaces appear inviting to misogynists where they can, in the safety of their hidden identities; bully, slander and humiliate women at will. 
The harassment, abuse and trolling that are par for the course on the internet assume an particularly vicious dimension — replete with sexual connotations — when directed towards women gender. Articulate and assertive women are especially the target of online abuse. The internet has also proved to be a friend to those perverts who are hell bent on vengeance against former partners in intimate relationships; such attacks usually, though not exclusively, also target women.
Unfortunately most such cases do not reach police stations. Parents are embarrassed to report cyber attacks on their children. Often they don’t want these cases to be registered as they worry about their own and their children’s reputation. What is especially alarming is that these cyber bullies nowadays are well-equipped, convincing and smart enough to get away. Independent women have become hot targets and societal institutions and the police are seemingly unable to bring them to book. 
Only fast redress and immediate legal recourse can ensure web safety. Social networking platforms, where identities can be forged, should be held accountable for the growing number of crimes. Children and teenagers’ internet usage must not be overlooked. Guardians should keep track of who they are following and what they are following. And parents must not hesitate to approach the police in case of harassment.
It is sad but true that active policing is easier said than done because like regular offences, many cyber crimes registered by the police get stuck in the courts due to legal technicalities and inadequate evidence. Unless the message is sent loud and clear, until the guilty are punished, nothing will really change. Others will only be more emboldened and harass girls online. In this Information Age, it is not enough for parents to only watch who their children interact with in person, but also who they interact with over the Internet. The oft-heard warning from parents, “Don’t speak to strangers”, does not apply only to the offline world but also to the online world — especially to the online world, in fact, where strangers can be faceless and can easily adopt false identities. 

 

Cyber stalking

Only fast redress and immediate legal recourse can ensure web safety

Incidents of internet stalking are increasing at a rapid rate in Bangladesh. In the overwhelming majority of the cases women and young girls are the victims. For all the wondrous possibilities of the internet, the anonymity it offers can bring out some of the worst impulses in certain men. Apparently online spaces appear inviting to misogynists where they can, in the safety of their hidden identities; bully, slander and humiliate women at will. The harassment, abuse and trolling that are par for the course on the internet assume an particularly vicious dimension replete with sexual connotations when directed towards women gender. Articulate and assertive women are especially the target of online abuse. The internet has also proved to be a friend to those perverts who are hell bent on vengeance against former partners in intimate relationships; such attacks usually, though not exclusively, also target women. Unfortunately most such cases do not reach police stations. Parents are embarrassed to report cyber attacks on their children. Often they dont want these cases to be registered as they worry about their own and their childrens reputation. What is especially alarming is that these cyber bullies nowadays are well-equipped, convincing and smart enough to get away. Independent women have become hot targets and societal institutions and the police are seemingly unable to bring them to book. Only fast redress and immediate legal recourse can ensure web safety. Social networking platforms, where identities can be forged, should be held accountable for the growing number of crimes. Children and teenagers internet usage must not be overlooked. Guardians should keep track of who they are following and what they are following. And parents must not hesitate to approach the police in case of harassment. It is sad but true that active policing is easier said than done because like regular offences, many cyber crimes registered by the police get stuck in the courts due to legal technicalities and inadequate evidence. Unless the message is sent loud and clear, until the guilty are punished, nothing will really change. Others will only be more emboldened and harass girls online. In this Information Age, it is not enough for parents to only watch who their children interact with in person, but also who they interact with over the Internet. The oft-heard warning from parents, Dont speak to strangers, does not apply only to the offline world but also to the online world especially to the online world, in fact, where strangers can be faceless and can easily adopt false identities.