An Introduction to Cybercrime and Sexual Abuse of Women and Children

Blog

6 Aug

Written By

~ By Ann Sarasa

TRIGGER WARNING: The following blog discusses Sexual Abuse and Exploitation

The same features that make the internet a marvellous invention, also make it one of the most dangerous spaces to participate in. Cybercrimes are particularly hard to track because it knows no borders, can be executed with lightning speed, and to a large extent, can mask a person’s true identity. These virtual crimes have very serious real-life implications, that can scar people for life. The lifelong impact is more strongly felt by women and children, who are often targeted due to their perceived vulnerability.

The Nexus between Cybercrime and Gender-based Abuse

Cybercrime exists in several forms and research has shown that cybercrime harms different genders in different ways. Gender-based cybercrime typically manifests itself in the form of sexual abuse. Women, particularly between the ages of 18-24, face a disproportionate amount of cyberstalking and online sexual harassment. This is further demonstrated by the estimation that at least one in ten women has experienced some form of cyber violence.

Women are the most common targets of Image-Based Sexual Abuse (IBSA), which involves non-consensual distribution, or threat of distribution, of sexually explicit images and videos. These images or videos could have been digitally doctored, recorded without consent, or received from the victim under good faith, but the underlying intention of IBSA is to cause harm, distress or humiliation to the victim. As per the latest NCRB data, 5% of all Cybercrimes in India were reported under sexual exploitation, and the real number could be much higher.

IBSA also significantly impacts children, with sexually explicit images of minors being distributed across various internet platforms. Unregulated parts of the internet, such as the Deep Web, is increasingly being used for distributing Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) material, and such material is even broadcasted through real-time live streams. Perpetrators use a variety of means to force children into being exploited for such live streams and image distribution.

Online grooming is a method used by perpetrators to coerce children into sending sexually explicit images of themselves, among other things. This is similar to real-life grooming, where the perpetrators feign friendship with the victim and build trust with them over a period of time. They tend to isolate the child and communicate the need for their “friendship” to be secret. The end goal is typically to manipulate and control the victim through demanding sexually explicit images and videos or pressuring them to meet in real life.

Relation between the Victim and Perpetrator

Cybercrime through sexual exploitation is often done remotely, meaning the victim and perpetrator need not be in the same physical location. The pandemic saw the world going away from physical spaces into digital spaces, and this led to a sharp spike in cybercrime. The anonymity granted through the Deep Web is another reason why CSA material is widely distributed, with a large number of perpetrators going scot-free. Other forms of gender-based cybercrime, however, need not necessarily be anonymous.

Crimes such as cyberstalking are usually an extension of offline violence. It follows the same patterns as real-life stalking and is merely facilitated through technology. A study showed that over half of all cyberstalking cases stemmed from a prior real-life interaction. This is also true for victims who are blackmailed and threatened using sexually explicit images of themselves.

Conclusion

Cybercrime and sexual abuse are closely related, and women and children often bear the brunt of this unfortunate nexus. Identifying common methods of sexual exploitation through the internet, and acknowledging that this abuse is widespread and needs to be addressed, is the first step towards eradicating sexual abuse. At The Rakshin Project, our goal is to prevent Child Sexual Abuse by building over 4 million Rakshins, who are equipped with the knowledge and skills required to combat CSA. Head on over to our ‘Get Involved’ tab to know more about how you can contribute to the Project!

References and Further Readings

An Introduction to Cybercrime and Sexual Abuse of Women and Children

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An Introduction to Cybercrime and Sexual Abuse of Women and Children

How the Internet has failed Women and Children

World Day of Social Justice

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