Protect your children from cyber predators, counsellor in UAE says

[email protected] (Gulf News)
June 18, 2012
Protect_your_children

Abu Dhabi, June 18: A counsellor was shocked to hear from a teenager that he had sold his sister’s nude video on internet to make money.


The expatriate family in the UAE took him to the counsellor when he was found bunking the classes and exams of his professional course back home.


“They thought he might be addicted to drugs but it was something else. He was lured by pornography mafia on the internet, which offer money in lieu of providing pornography contents,” said Mohammad Mustafa, an Information Technology professional.


Mustafa, an Indian resident in Abu Dhabi, has established a Non-Governmental Organisation namely Developing Internet Safe Community (DISC) Foundation in India to raise awareness about internet safety. The foundation is planning to expand its awareness activities in the UAE and other Gulf states also soon.

Mustafa was sharing an experience of a counsellor associated with his organisation. He said the boy placed a secret video camera in the sisters’ bedroom and sold the video to the mafia which offered him attractive remuneration, Mustafa said.


“Luckily that video did not spread on internet and the family never came to know about it; otherwise they would have committed suicide. It still remains a secret between the boy and the counsellor,” he explained.

The guy came back to normal life after long counselling sessions, he said.


Pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry which seeks fresh pictures and videos in lieu of money, he said. Worldwide pornography revenue in 2006 was $97.06 billion (Dh 356.21 billion) which was expected to be doubled in 2011.


“They lure youngsters online into the trade to gather unique or fresh content,” Mustafa said. The deceived youngsters may create contents from their own home, when they are unable to find it outside, he explained.


The surveys in the US have indicated that 90 per cent of children age 8-16 have viewed pornography online (many while doing homework).


Adults as well as children receive unsolicited email attempting to redirect them to a pornographic site.


“A hacker can easily control your webcam to take pictures or videos at your home and place software in your computer to steal photos or videos, if you don’t protect them properly,” Mustafa said.


Apart from the problem of falling victims to pornography mafia, his organisation plans to conduct awareness classes and presentations for parents and children about the various threats in cyber world such as cyber sex addiction, cyber bullying, online harassment or cyber stalking, identity theft, cyber-relationship addiction, violent and hateful contents, online gambling addiction etc.


To avoid such problems, the foundation wants to propagate the practical tips among people. It wants to help to teach internet etiquette, technically secure the computer, monitor children’s online activities, data mine with popular search engines etc.


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Agencies
January 6,2020

New Delhi, Jan 6: A blind student who is pursuing research in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was also attacked by the mob that perpetrated violence in the University yesterday.

"I thought that the mob which came yesterday would disperse after raising a few slogans but they indulged in violence. They were targeting ABVP students. They beat me with sticks and rods. When I went to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, I came to know that there are many other injured students there," Surya Prakash, the blind student pursuing research in the University told ANI.

"I talked to my family members. They are really worried about the situation here. I qualified in the National Eligibility Test (NET) last year but I want to study and hence I am continuing research in JNU. How can we do anything in this atmosphere of fear? I am receiving calls from anonymous numbers threatening me not to come in front of the media. They are saying that as I am blind, I would become the face of this case," he added.

Another PhD student, Santosh Bhagat recounted his experience.

"In the evening at around 7 pm, many masked men entered the hostel. They had rods and sticks in their hands. We tried to go out but the attackers had entered the premises by then. I locked my room from inside but the attackers broke the door and entered my room and attacked me. They pushed me from the first floor and I fell down and sustained an injury. Later, I took shelter at one of the Professor's flat. Later, I was taken to the AIIMS Trauma Cantre," Bhagat said.

On Sunday evening, more than 30 students of the university, including JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh, were injured and were taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre after a masked mob entered the JNU and attacked them and professors with sticks and rods.

The JNU administration and political leaders, cutting across political lines, condemned the attack on students and urged the police to take action against the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, the situation remained tense but peaceful outside JNU on Monday morning as the university guards maintained a strict vigil at the gate, checking I-cards of all those entering the university.

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News Network
June 17,2020

Moradabad, Jun 17: Two children died after they accidentally got locked inside a car while playing in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad, the police said.

Four children, aged between 4 and 7 years, locked themselves inside the car while playing and were found unconscious soon after, the police added.

"All four children were found unconscious in a car and they were taken to the hospital. Two of them died and the other two are undergoing treatment at the hospital," said Amit Kumar Anand, superintendent of police (city) Moradabad.

The children were related to each other, the police said.

The man who owns the car said the children had locked themselves inside. "When we reached, the children were in an unconscious state. Two of the four children died. The incident occurred around 8 am."

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News Network
May 1,2020

Lucknow, May 1: Six members of a family were allegedly hacked to death by another family member over a property dispute in Gudauli village in the Banthra area on the outskirts of the city on Thursday, police said.

The accused, Ajay Singh (26), went to the local police station after committing the crime and surrendered, they added.

Singh allegedly had a heated argument with the family members over a property and attacked them with a sharp-edged weapon, the police said.

The accused allegedly killed his mother, father, elder brother, his wife and two children -- a son and a daughter -- they added.

The victims were identified as Amar (60), Ramsakhi (55), Arun (40), Ramdulari (35), Saurabh (7) and Sarika (2).

When asked, Commissioner of Police Sujeet Pandey said six members of a family were killed and the accused surrendered before the police.

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