Sunny Leone was threatened by a cyber bully, used to walk to the door with knife

The growth of social media has encouraged individuals who are reckless with expressing their opinion. Celebrities, both in India and abroad have spoken up about being bullied on networking platforms, with actor Sunny Leone now deciding to actively take on trolls.

Leone, who has been a victim of cyber stalking, has joined hands with the NGO, Akancha Against Harassment, to fight cyber harassment and online abuse. A particular event, she recalls, was one among those that spurred her decision. "Someone threatened me, telling me he'd come to my house to cause harm. Daniel [Weber, husband] was not in the country, and I was frightened, because I was living alone. I would hear noises outside my house and walk towards the door with a knife in my hand," Leone tells mid-day. She recalls that a social media user, with a sizable fan-following, had also spewed hatred on her, and arrived at her doorstep. "He started banging on my door. That his Twitter followers had also bullied me, made me fear that a mob would turn up and break into my house." The incident left Leone distraught, and urged her to install cameras outside her home.

"We changed our house later, but this incident still affects me." Cyber stalking and harassment, Leone points out, has been a
pertinent issue across the globe. The concern needs to be addressed, because not everyone is capable of dealing with it. "Young girls and boys go through depression because they are bullied. Many even end up committing suicide. I don't know if this will end, but, we can create awareness about it. Thankfully, people have been supportive towards me, and, I am strong, but not everyone can say that. We need to help them," she says, further urging people to keep from experimenting with games like the deadly Blue Whale challenge.