By: Amizaday Hernandez

Three years after the approval of the Olimpia Law in Mexico, digital violence remains a significant problem that affects youth in various ways.

Increasing access to digital technology has transformed the way young people, including children and adolescents, interact with the world. However, this access has also exposed young people to new online risks and threats, such as cyberbullying, grooming and exposure to inappropriate content. Ensuring the right to digital safety for the country's youth has therefore become a priority in the digital age.

Did you know that the most common types of digital violence in the country are:

Cyberbullying is the harassment, intimidation, humiliation or defamation of a person through digital means, such as social networks, text messages or emails.

Grooming, which refers to the process in which an adult establishes a relationship with a minor online with the aim of gaining his or her trust and then sexually abusing him or her.

Sextortion, which is extortion through coercively obtained images or videos of sexual content, such as blackmailing the victim into disclosing such material if they do not comply with certain demands.

“Deep fakes” are an advanced form of digital manipulation that uses artificial intelligence to create fake videos, images or audios that appear authentic. Most of the cases seen in our country involve the sexualization of young people through these practices.

But what happens when we have to face a situation like this? When this happened to my friend, my sister, my niece, my mother, my boyfriend, my brother, my cousin (yes, because it happens to men too, and a lot). The reality is that we are not informed and many times we normalize or let these attacks go, out of shame, out of fear, out of what people will say.

And it happened to me, I had to hold back my tears when I learned that someone very close to me was abused there and I decided I had to do something, I saw him shut down many times and I understood what the consequences of digital violence were, it can have a significant impact on the mental health of young people, causing stress, anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts. Constant exposure to online bullying and humiliation can undermine young people's self-esteem and emotional well-being. I witnessed how this triggers various breaking points, chronic stress caused by abuse and harassment can have a negative impact on the physical health of the victim. This can manifest itself in the form of headaches, gastrointestinal problems, sleep disorders, chronic fatigue and other physical symptoms.

Victims of abuse and harassment may also have difficulty trusting others and forming healthy relationships. They may experience intimacy problems, communication issues, and difficulty setting healthy boundaries in relationships. They may undermine the victim's self-confidence and self-esteem, making them feel worthless or unworthy of love and respect. This can lead to a negative view of themselves and difficulties developing a positive self-image.

Most of the time I saw her experience difficulties concentrating, learning and performing at school or work due to stress and distraction. This resulted in poor academic and work performance and difficulties moving forward in personal and professional life. It can also lead to social withdrawal, feeling ashamed, stigmatized or afraid to interact with other people. This can lead to social isolation and loss of meaningful connections with friends, family and community. Christmas and special holidays stopped meaning anything to her.

In some cases, victims may resort to self-destructive behaviors such as substance abuse, self-mutilation, or even suicide attempts as a way of coping with the pain and emotional suffering. It was difficult to see her severed legs and her arms too.

It is important to note that consequences may vary depending on the nature and severity of the incident, as well as the support resources available to the victim. It is critical to offer compassionate support and appropriate resources to victims to help them heal and recover from trauma.

Although there are various laws and regulations in Mexico, we could mention the Federal Law on the Protection of Personal Data Held by Private Parties, the General Law on the Rights of Girls, Boys and Adolescents that recognizes the right of minors to security in the use of information and communication technologies, the General Education Law that establishes the importance of including digital education in the school curriculum and although there is no specific law on cyberbullying in Mexico, we must talk about a law that has changed and has sought to combat and prevent digital violence, especially online gender violence, the Olimpia Law, the one that helped my favorite person, this is named after Olimpia Coral Melo, a Mexican woman who was a victim of the dissemination of intimate content without her consent. This law includes measures to punish and prevent cyberbullying, online sexual harassment and the dissemination of intimate content without consent, also known as "revenge porn". The Olimpia Law was approved for the first time in the Senate of the Mexican Republic on April 24, this 2024 it turns 3 years old. This was an important step in the legislative process to address these issues, and has been adopted in several states in Mexico and has inspired similar initiatives in other countries. It was first accepted in the Mexican state of Puebla. Since then, there have been ongoing efforts to expand its scope and application at both the state and national levels in Mexico, as well as to promote similar laws elsewhere in the world.

And, if when reading this you realize that you are a victim or know a victim, I have some advice that may be useful to you.

When this happened I didn't know what to do, I didn't have the tools, but thanks to the certification I took I was able to learn the following and I am sharing it with you so you can make it yours too.

1. Stay calm and assess the situation: Identify the nature of the digital violence you are experiencing and assess its severity.

2. Keep evidence: Keep all evidence of the digital violence you are experiencing. This may include screenshots of threatening messages, defamatory posts, or any other type of online harassment.

3. Report the situation: Report the incident to the relevant authorities and to the online platform where the abuse occurred. Many platforms have anti-harassment policies and provide options for reporting this type of behavior.

If you are in CDMX you can even report online anonymously at https://denunciadigital.cdmx.gob.mx/

4. Seek and provide support: Don't face digital violence alone. Seek emotional support and legal advice if necessary. You can contact local or national organizations that specialize in preventing and supporting victims of digital violence, for example:

https://www.leyolimpia.com.mx in the following QR I leave you a manual with all the necessary information.

5. Protect your privacy: Review and adjust privacy settings on your online accounts to limit who can see your personal information and online activities.

6. Educate about digital safety: Learn about online safety practices and educate your friends and family on how to protect themselves against digital violence.

Remember that digital violence is a serious problem. We must not be indifferent to this problem, and we must not wait to be faced with it as happened to me.

And if you, who are reading this, are a victim, you should know that you deserve support and protection. Do not hesitate to seek help if you find yourself in this situation.

I can't change the world overnight, but I can take small steps to change the reality around me.

We are not alone!