The lawyer says: Cyber bullying Part-3

http://www.cybervictims.edu.tf/

When you get “bullied”, the first reaction of yours would most likely be to attack the bully more aggressively. But are you really doing justice? Remember what Munna bhai did in Lage raho Munna bhai? When Lucky send his men to “teach Munna a lesson, he patiently took one slap and offered the man to slap on his left cheek, thinking he would not hit him anymore…… but the guard did it again… and this time Munna gave him a good punch. And what did Bapu tell him? It is very tough to control yourself from being aggressive at these times.

Same thing happens in the net also. As I have pointed out in the earlier posts, it starts with a simple remark (may be a little pinching) and the bullied and the bully make up a castle of not so funny words. The situation turns so sour that the victim may even start thinking of lodging a police complaint. But does this really make an offence? .Can cyber bullying be regulated by Indian laws? Infact cyber bullying was not recognized as an offence at all till the beginning of millennium. It was considered as an internet behavioral fault, just the way many schools treat in-house bullying of students as a behavioral fault. The US first recognized the severity of the problem and enacted anti cyber bullying law in the name of Megan Meir, a teenager victim of cyber bullying. Now several US parliamentarians are debating for enacting anti cyber bullying law for adults as well , even though the attempt is getting pretty “cold response”. The existing Indian Information technology Act 2000 never really thought of regulating such cyber atrocities. Neither the Indian Penal Code had some specific provision for preventing bullying words. Infact, no one can still adjust with the idea that bullying is no more a childish activity. Adults are also equally bullying and the difference between children bullying each other and adults’ playing the same game lies in the degree of maturity. Children bully for fun, for taking childish revenge and they may even become friends after severe bullying episode, if some adult or peer intervenes and counsels them. Adults know the gravity of the words; bullying vocabulary can be enriched by filthy, obscene words, obnoxious cartoons and even teasing remarks accompanied by violent pornographic images. More so, if and when they are displayed in any website, social networking forums or even walls of the individual’s profiles, the bullying behavior attracts defamation of the victim in front of the wide audience. In such a case, the offence can be booked under provisions of the Indian Penal Code, for defamation, criminal intimidation, annoyance etc along with the exiting provisions on breach of privacy in the Information technology Act. However, the new amendments in the IT Act , 2008 address the problem in a more focused way. Once the new amended Act comes in to existence, cyber bullying (by children as well as adults) can be prevented in a better way than how it is being dealt with now. Hence Bullies be careful…. Mind your language in the internet; it can put you in legal net.