Bois Locker Room

          The lock-down means children are spending more time than ever online. Schooling, entertainment, socializing, sports… it’s all taking place on the internet. Parents are naturally being very liberal about how much time children can spend on the internet these days. Unfortunately all this also means that the usual dangers of cyberspace are multiplied manifold.

In Delhi an Instagram group ‘Bois Locker Room’ has come to light, where male students from different schools discussed their female classmates in very disturbing ways. This reportedly included posting schoolgirls’ photos without consent and conversations about committing sexual assault, rape, gang rape. This Instagram group has now been deactivated and Delhi Police is investigating the case, with the cyber-crime division also writing to Facebook-owned Instagram for details.

But the casual misogyny and normalization of rape seen in this group is likely not an anomaly. Parents, teachers, police, social media giants have to be vigilant that as society transitions to living more of life online such misbehavior do not explode.

Left unchecked such a mindset can transition into actual incidence of sexual assault and rape. Where this does not happen, it still means female students are being deprived of safe spaces of schooling and growing up. Let there be no doubt that where an appreciation of gender equality is missing in childhood, it impairs the future of the male child as well. He too will not be able to meet his full, rounded, healthy potential –either in a personal or professional capacity.