A survey of more than one hundred cyber-crime victims confirms the long standing fear that around seventy four per cent fall in the 18-30 age bracket with women constituting more than fifty per cent. As Bangladesh steps into the digital age, the whole of society will be connected by the Internet and while this is the redeeming aspect of connectivity, the macabre side is the exploitation of the technology to intimidate, bully and harass people.

The term cyber-crimes encapsulates a wide variety of illicit activities, ranging from enticing net based offers aimed at gathering personal information of an unsuspecting user to the deadly manipulation of the human mind. It’s the latter that also leads to the radicalisation of secular people, who go on to disrupt social harmony with violence and bigotry.  On a general level, the cyber exploitation can be sexual plus psychological, aimed at creating a situation where unethical people create an inextricable web of deceit to control naïve and gullible young people.  

In recent times, one other aspect of cyber misuse has led to young people being sucked into a whirlpool of deviant sexual predilections. Of course, we all know this though the truth remains that a conservative social veneer plus the fear of stigma prevent many victims from opening up about cyber exploitation to their guardians. On the other side, many parents, still clinging on to a set of outdated social values, refuse to understand the modern day psyche of the young, thus making a fruitful interaction between the young and the elderly complex.

Arguably, the first step to counter cyber-crimes and its critical manifestations need to start at home where teenagers, especially women, should be encouraged to talk about anything about which they are uncertain. The second step needs to come from the schools where teachers need to talk about the threat of cyber-crimes to students. Thirdly, the law enforcers of each ward have a duty to ensure that people living in that particular area know where to go to in case they become victims of one of the several forms of cyber-crimes. Ward commissioner’s office along with the local police station can chalk up sessions with young people to disseminate information about the roles the law can play.

Cyber criminals will continue to upgrade their techniques to ensnare people – that’s a grim fact. Keeping this in mind, all academic institutions can set up a cyber-crime help centre with both male and female counselors.