Of late Sumana has been receiving some strange calls. When she answers the phone, she can only hear heavy breathing and moaning. Naive Sumana did not realise the caller is a sex abuser and he is using her through the phone for sexual gratification.

The obscene phone caller is invariably a male, and the victim is likely to be a woman. The caller may simply breathe heavily down the line, or utter obscenities and sexually loaded suggestions to the woman.

Some callers are juveniles seeking kicks; others become sexually aroused and take the whole thing seriously. The individual who derives sexual satisfaction out of calling a woman and uttering obscenities is maladjusted. And the obscenities range from asking a woman if she wants to go to bed to more serious threats of rape.

The obscene phone caller is similar to an exhibitionist in that he gains vicarious pleasure out of shocking, offending and outraging an woman, the objective being to obtain a emotional response out of the victim. The caller gains an artificial feeling of power, yet he is usually a coward. His behaviour is tantamount to a symbolic rape.

Guidelines for handling:

– Do not get into unwanted conversation with strangers.
– If you suspect something, cut the phone off.
– Attach caller ID instrument to your phone and install true caller application on your mobile phone.
– Bring it to the notice of the service provider so that the call can be traced
– Lodge a police complaint.