AHMEDABAD: The Abhayam 181 women helpline had an unusual case earlier this week when the mother of a teenage girl sought help of counsellors for trauma of her daughter. The woman told counsellors that she had accidentally got exposed to pornographic material online and had become conscious of self and felt traumatic. The girl was later counselled and was also referred to psychological care.

“The mother got concerned when the girl became agitated and flushed for a few days. The girl, studying in a reputed school, is among toppers of her school and was spending considerable time online to find study material and get in touch with friends. While researching for a literary work and finding a few difficult phrases mentioned in it, she accidentally got directed to links which were not age-appropriate,” said a counsellor.

The videos and images left a deep impression on her, the counsellor added. “We talked to her about the appropriate and inappropriate links online and how to guard against the exposure. We have also counselled the parents,” said a senior Abhayam official.

“Being web safe is a major concern today for parents. There are tools available for parental control and filtering objectionable content. If your child is using a shared system, ensure to have those controls in place,” advised a city-based psychologist.

(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)