According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, overall cognisable crimes in India declined by 6 per cent in 2024. However, after the implementation of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), several crime categories have been reclassified, making it difficult to interpret the decline as a straightforward reduction in crime. The real concern is that crimes against children continue to rise even while overall crime figures are showing a decline.

NCRB’s 2024 report recorded 1,87,702 cases of crimes against children across the country, an increase of 5.8 per cent over 2023. In 2020, the number stood at 1,28,531, which means crimes against children have risen by more than 46 per cent in just four years.

This rise is not merely a statistical trend; it also reflects a rapidly changing social fabric. Family conversations are shrinking while dependence on mobile screens is growing. Smartphones are reaching children at a very young age. Online education, gaming, video platforms and social media have expanded children’s digital universe, but concerns around their safety and supervision have also increased in equal measure.

Over the last few years, digital platforms have become deeply embedded in children’s everyday lives. Earlier, neighbourhoods, schools and families formed the centre of children’s social experiences. Today, mobile screens increasingly occupy that space. Many parents see this as a normal part of modern life, but it is also exposing children to a world where fake identities, explicit content, online manipulation and digital exploitation are constantly present.

NCRB figures show that cybercrimes against children are emerging as a major concern. In 2024, 1,238 cybercrime cases against children were registered, of which 1,099 involved publishing or transmitting sexually explicit content related to children. In other words, nearly nine out of every ten cybercrimes against children were linked to sexually exploitative digital material. The data suggests that the internet is no longer just a medium for information or entertainment; it is increasingly becoming an easy route for criminals to access children. Cybercrimes against children are also rising sharply in some states. Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala reported the highest number of such cases, and together these five states accounted for nearly two-thirds of all cybercrime cases against children registered in the country.

Social media platforms, online gaming and private chat applications have made it easier for offenders to approach children. Many children fail to understand who is on the other side of the screen or what their intentions may be. Digital grooming, fake identities, blackmail and misuse of private photographs are becoming increasingly common. Artificial intelligence has made the challenge even more complicated. Creating fake images and videos has become easier than ever before, and such tools are increasingly being used for blackmail and sexual exploitation of children. According to NCRB data, 69,191 cases were registered under the POCSO Act in 2024. Adolescent girls in the 16–18 age group were the most affected. A total of 23,497 victims were recorded in this category, and nearly 99.5 per cent of them were girls. These figures present a disturbing picture of the growing vulnerability of adolescent girls in society.

Soha Moitra, Director of Programmes at CRY – Child Rights and You, said: “The recent cybercrime trends revealed by NCRB once again underscore why children’s safety in the online space must remain a national priority. In today’s hyperconnected world shaped increasingly by algorithms and AI, protecting children online is no longer just about controlling screens. It is about building awareness, empathy and agency among children and caregivers alike to safeguard children’s identity, and ensure their dignity and emotional well-being in digital spaces.”

The deeper concern is that conversations within families are steadily shrinking. Earlier, children shared their fears, confusion and experiences with parents and elders. Today, much of their time is spent in front of screens. Many parents themselves remain so occupied in the digital world that they are unable to adequately monitor or understand their children’s online lives. This emotional distance often leaves children isolated and vulnerable, creating opportunities that offenders exploit.

In such a situation, children’s safety cannot remain solely the responsibility of the police or the law. Schools, families, communities and digital platform companies all have an important role to play. Children need to be made aware of digital literacy, online safety and cyber threats from an early age. Parents, too, must realise that simply giving children access to mobile phones is not enough; understanding and engaging with their digital world is equally important.

The latest NCRB figures are, in many ways, a warning about a larger social transition. A safe childhood today is no longer limited to safe streets, schools and homes; it is equally linked to safety in the digital world. Unless society recognises the seriousness of this changing threat in time, the crisis is likely to deepen further in the years ahead. (IPA Service)