The rapid development of technology and the use of smartphones resulted in an increase in harassment and abuse. Digital abuse means the use of technology to intimidate or harass someone. There are many ways that people use to commit digital abuse. It can be in the form of harassment from someone on the dating website or domestic violence, faced at any stage and all ages. According to a survey, 96 per cent of the teenagers who experienced cyberbullying and abuse were observed facing psychological, physical, or sexual abuse from their online friends (What is Cyberbullying? – Cybersmile, 2013). Here, we will focus on sexual abuse at the school level through the use of technology.
Sexting is one example of digital abuse, which refers to having sex through texts regularly. The number of people using sexting is increasing at a great pace. The reason for doing sexting is that it’s fun, and a person can undergo a kind of feeling like a rebel doing it. Most students and teenagers are suffering from this kind of digital abuse. It sometimes becomes a foundation for physical and sexual harassment; however, in most cases, it is sex without any awkwardness and consequences.
There is no single rule exists for sexting, if a person once types a message and press the send button there is no way to take it back the whole world owns it. Sexting has no boundaries, and a person can become as naughty as he or she wants; distance is not a problem in this kind of abuse and bullying. However, some people share pictures which are violent against the cyber rules and expose the privacy of their partners. In some cases, it ends up hurting a person or causing suicidal ideation.
Sexting with a child and a school-going teenager is a serious crime, and it holds some serious consequences, such as large fines and imprisonment for being labelled as a sex offender. The jail penalty is from 5 to 20 years, a strict penalty for a person who has done sexual things with a child. It is a common myth that sharing nude pictures is not a crime, and you cannot get in trouble.
Sexting is a social issue, and it can harm society if it crosses the limits, it can harm the self-respect of a person. Leaking some objectionable pictures of a person on social media can cause many serious psychological issues and may lead a person to suicidal ideation. Many times, friends at the school level participate in sexting without considering its consequences. It can affect these kids emotionally and ruin their personalities. When their sex or nude pictures are shared with other persons, it can not be guaranteed that the picture will remain private (StopBullying.gov, 2019).
Most of these organizations are working to make people aware of what to do when they are feeling insecure; for instance, they guide you on what steps should be taken to prevent yourself from any major loss. At the school level, a student must consult with a teacher, school counsellor, school principal, parents, and the state Department of Education.
These are some good steps that every child must understand and be aware of in these situations. However, these organizations can not stop cyberbullying forcefully; they have certain limitations. They needed to be empowered by the law so that they could take righteous actions.
In what ways could the organization\’s efforts be improved? (Approximately 1-2 paragraphs.)
Stopbullying.gov is a federal government website which is managed by the Department of Health and Human Services USA (A THIN LINE, MTV’s sexting, cyberbullying, digital dating abuse campaign, 2019). Its purpose is to spread awareness about cyberbullying, and it works in collaboration with law and order agencies in the States. Similarly, MTV’s thinline.org is working to empower people to stop digital abuse from the community. These organizations should expand their operations and arrange seminars and awareness campaigns at schools on a regular basis.
References
A THIN LINE, MTV’s sexting, cyberbullying, digital dating abuse campaign:. (2019). Athinline.org. Retrieved 23 June 2019, from http://www.athinline.org/about
What is Cyberbullying? – Cybersmile. (2013). Cybersmile.org. Retrieved 23 June 2019, from https://www.cybersmile.org/blog/what-is-cyberbullying
StopBullying.gov. (2019). StopBullying.gov. Retrieved 23 June 2019, from https://www.stopbullying.gov/
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