Tasaduq Hussain
Srinagar: With the advent in technology across the globe and in Jammu and Kashmir in particular, girls have turned to be the worst victims of cyber-crime with people using social media platforms to tarnish their dignity forcing them to undergo extreme mental stress.
Number of teenage girls has complained about the scary incidents they have been going through over past few months. A couple of girls wishing anonymity told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that cyber-crimes against girls are on rise with people using their names and profiles to use social media accounts, thereby leaving them in a state of extreme depression.
Saima (name changed) from north Kashmir complained that over past few months cyber-crimes have witnessed huge spike and most of the girls are in depression and suffering from mental health issue and which has adversely impacted their social life as well.
She shared couple of instances where many of her colleagues including herself were exploited through online means by unknown users having their actual profile names, address and sharing the details of their life with others through chat messages on different social media platforms.
“A Facebook profile with female username would chat with many people including the native guys and presented self as one of my friends who isn’t available on any of the social media. The person even shared a photo of my house that almost caught me in a state of extreme mental depression. I am unable to report it anywhere and talk about it even with my family members,” she said.
Another girl who wished not to be named said that most of the girls are in state of dispersion and suffering badly because they are unable the give voice to what they’re made to undergo even maximum fear to report about it.
She said if the girls raise voice or report about, it puts their dignity at stake and at the same time such incidents are happening at an alarming rate.
The girls have demanded that there should be a proper medium for reporting where their name remains anonymous as such incidents where girls are made the victims by misuse of social media tarnishes their image.
They demanded that a separate reporting cell be established so that such indents don’t go unreported and involved get punished for the crime.
They also suggested that authorities should initiate measures and ensure they come up with necessary mechanism so that girls are encouraged to report about such incidents—(KNO)
