CRIMINALS BEHIND A SCREEN

WHAT IS VIRTUAL HARASSMENT?

Virtual harassment also termed cyberbullying is an extremely popular form of bullying that is prevalent all over the world. This form of abuse is committed by people who do not necessarily have direct contact with the victim. They are able to contact the victim through any social media platforms and send across various hate messages, threats and at times unsolicited pictures. The victim very often does not know who their abuser is and are trapped in shadows of doubt, self-conflict and guilt since the text messages are many times anonymous.

HOW FREQUENTLY DOES IT TAKE PLACE?

Virtual harassment is more common than you think it is. Statistically, 70% of teenagers have reported being a victim of cyberbullying either by their peers or a stranger. As a victim of virtual harassment myself, it breaks my heart to know that despite this large number of cases being reported, it is not frequently accepted as a form of harassment. Seeing such high statistics only makes me wonder how many children, men and women out there have even failed to recognize that they have been a victim of such a crime since society has not yet normalized this as a form of abuse.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF CYBERBULLYING?

Virtual harassment is a crime punishable by law. It can lead to lifelong trauma for the victim. Chronic disorders such as depression and social anxiety are the main side-effect of this form of abuse along with suicidal thoughts, engagement in self-harming activities and at extreme times alcohol and drug usage. I was lucky enough to help myself before things took the worst turn but by the time I had realized and acknowledged my trauma, the damage had been done. Even today, I have extremely low social media usage and ensure not to befriend most new people. The most outgoing and bubbly girl had now become a cold and intimidating one.

As someone who was raised in a very understanding and supportive family, when I told my parents about my situation years later- they always told me it was never my fault. In fact, I only started to realize that people still carried through a victim-blaming mentality when I had opened up to my friends about my situation. That made me want to reach out to every person who has/had suffered through online abuse and tell them IT WAS NEVER THEIR FAULT. It took me years to even understand what happened to me and to accept that I wasn't at fault.

To anyone who is trying to heal through your experience of online abuse, I want you to know that your feelings are VALID. You are not alone in this journey of yours. Don’t compare your progress with others for your pace is your own and always remember that you have a voice and it MATTERS. Don’t let anyone shut you down!