Swiroset.com

Rape is a social evil that has reached explosive proportions. It has ruined many lives and continues to do so at a frantic pace. No one is immune, and age is not an impediment. From babies to the elderly to corpses, rape has become a fiendish symbol of power in a wicked world. In the US, a rape occurs every two minutes; In India, every 54 minutes, and in Pakistan, every three hours. The tragedy is that 80% are perpetrated by parents, siblings, relatives or friends. Six out of ten occur at home or at the home of a relative or friend. The story of an Austrian father, who raped his daughter for 24 years and fathered seven children through her, is still fresh in our minds.

Although rape occurs in all social groups, it is more prevalent among minority groups with low social status. A bully doesn’t necessarily have to be a sleazy character. He may be well educated, well groomed, and high in society, like a judge, government official, policeman, or priest. Doctors have even been known to rape patients in their clinics. The rapist can be any age, from an old man to a young teenager. The growing trend of raping minors by force or seduction is terrifying. Boys 14 and under have been known to rape their classmates and kill them for fear of being caught.

Reasons for not reporting:

A habitual rapist can bother about 8-10 women before being caught. With conviction rates only 2%, many cases go unreported.

o Most women fear the stigma attached to rape, especially when the law does not condemn the rapist. They become secretive and even believe that they are guilty in some way.
o Lack of faith in the judicial system: Many times the court takes the victim to trial, questioning her about her morality and investigating her sexual history. When a Mumbai policeman raped a 15-year-old ragdresser, the judge proclaimed: “She’s a ragdresser and she doesn’t matter.”

Due to such perverse reasoning and a distorted sense of justice, many judges pass it off as an “act of passion” and award a minimum sentence.

Also, legal battles are long and tedious. The onus is on the victim to prove the violation.
o Fear of reprisals from the rapist or his henchmen.
o Fear of an adverse reaction from society, parents, spouses, employers or peers.
o Fear of tarnishing the family image, especially when there are single sisters.
One study showed that 43% of women are ignorant of the law; 23% are too shy to come forward; 12% are afraid of the police; 12% think complaining won’t make a difference.
One girl said: “I blame society for giving men the right to rape and considering the suffering of women as unimportant. A rapist may get away with a light sentence, but the victim’s sentence is life.” .

What is rape?
It is a form of sexual sadism that involves illicit sexual penetration either by coercion, force, blackmail, or under false promises. “I think that anything that violates the integrity of a woman’s body should be considered rape,” says Brinda Karat, a women’s activist. “Sexual violence, in addition to being dehumanizing, is an unlawful intrusion of a woman’s right to privacy and sanctity,” says Judge AS Anand.

Situations in which the violation occurs:
– Custodial rape when a woman is in custody for a misdemeanor.
– Child rape is the hobby of pedophiles. 1 in 5 raped children is under 15 years of age. Some don’t even forgive babies in cribs.
– Cast capes are routine in the film or modeling industry. When a person is desperate for a job, they become vulnerable.
– Date rapes have been on the rise. The assailant is usually known to the victim and drugs them with GHB, Rophynol, Ketamine or some similar drug. These medicines are in powder or liquid form and dissolve in any drink. These drugs render the victim physically helpless and unable to resist sex, and also unable to remember the incident. Alcohol enhances the action of drugs. No trace is found in the bloodstream after 72 hours.
– Aggravated rape is when a rapist introduces an instrument or foreign body into the victim, to build his own orgasm.
– Spousal rape that may not be recognized by law.
“In marriage, the weakest, stupidest, most insignificant men in the world are given license to rape or beat their wives,” says Virginia Woolfe
– Necrophilia: The rape of corpses is common in certain tribes. Sometimes sexual perverts can also enjoy such activity.

Reasons why men rape?
– Gives men a sense of power, and is tied to their identity. Forcing a woman into sexual subjugation validates her masculinity. They enjoy it.
– Lust in men who have not disciplined their impulses. Testosterone causes the male libido to go haywire.
– Economic causes: In some communities the bride price may be too high. Poverty, low socioeconomic status, unemployment, lack of skills, make men take out their frustration through rape. The victim and the rapist may live in the same area. Girls in the center of cities have a 1 in 70 chance of being raped, while in wealthy areas it can be 1 in 2,000.
– In communities with strict codes of conduct, where mixing of the sexes is not allowed, repressed males express their masculinity through rape.
– Antisocial and borderline personalities behave irresponsibly. This is reinforced by drugs and alcohol.
– Misogyny: Men who hate women commit violent crimes against them. Many have aggressive mothers and timid fathers. Verbal abuse from a mother may have given the man a poor self-image. As an expression of anger against the mother or sisters, he finds a victim who cannot defend himself against her or is mentally retarded and rapes her.
– Men with low self-esteem are convinced that no woman would willingly sleep with them. They are aroused by sexual fantasies and express themselves through rape.
– Revenge: When men are rejected or ignored, they feel insulted enough to use rape as a form of revenge.
– Rising feminism: women are tearing down all masculine strongholds. They are becoming financially independent and upwardly mobile. The attack on men is happening like never before. Assisted reproductive technology and genetic engineering make some men feel purposeless and powerless. As a result, they resort to rape.
– The industry of sex and pornography encourages men to treat women as merchandise and humiliate them for their pleasure.
“Rape is nothing more and nothing less than a conscious process of intimidation by which all men keep all women in a state of fear,” says Susan Brown Miller.
– Men have blamed women for flaunting their feminine attributes through indecent displays, skimpy costumes, and suggestive behavior. This, they say, precipitates lust in men. Women refute this because rape occurs in small towns or villages where women dress modestly.
– Rape in war is sanctioned by the highest authorities as a means of demoralizing the social fabric of a nation, by impregnating its women. It is also supposed to alleviate aggression and promote bonding among soldiers.

Effects of rape on the victim:
Rape-trauma syndrome is similar to post-traumatic stress disorder. It has two stages. The first is Rape Shock Disruption. Fear, anger, guilt, and shame may follow. The reorganization is the second stage that is carried out gradually over a period of 3 to 4 months. Sometimes it can take much longer. The victim feels vulnerable, shy, and does not have full control of her life. Residual damage is what the breach leaves in its wake. Depression, sexual dysfunction, vaginismus, fear of sexual interaction, and inability to adjust socially are common. The person may take alcohol or drugs to combat fear and depression. A rape survivor is nine times more likely to commit suicide. But if the victim gets immediate support and is able to vent their grievance, fear, or anger, the chances of recovery are greater.

Solutions to minimize rape in society:
o Education of the public by raising awareness in society through education and awareness programs. Men, politicians, the police, the judiciary and the general public must be sensitized to violence against women. New insights into sex roles are needed. Stereotypical gender roles only make men more aggressive and women more vulnerable.
o Girls’ education: Strong parental support will give girls a sense of security and belonging. They will have confidence to express their fears and anxieties. Parents should encourage their children to report incidents such as physical proximity, inappropriate physical contact, even if it is from the parent, sibling or relatives. Girls need to be aware of the dangers lurking in society. 60% of adolescents have a tendency to act boldly and impulsively.
Women should also be aware of the laws against rape and abuse. Male judges are too lenient with rapists and too harsh with victims. Due to such injustice, the law has been discredited. Trials must have a time limit and punishment must be swift. Rape crisis centers should provide counseling and support for rape victims.
o Girls’ education should include specific “do’s” and “don’ts”. They should be told never to let a stranger near them, and never to accept candy or toys from strangers; never take a stranger to an isolated place that she wants to visit; be careful with excess friendship. Children from unhappy homes are easy targets as they are starved for affection. Even van drivers who transport children between school and home can take advantage of a friendly child. Teens may be attracted to people who promise roles in movies or modeling. If attacked, the child should be told to drop to the ground and yell for help.
o Parent education: The lines of communication between parents and their children must always be free of tension. Many parents think that children are too young to be told about rape, as it will unduly scare them. Children should be aware that there are a small number of evil people in society.
Parents should also be alerted to sudden withdrawal, loss of appetite, nightmares, or refusal to go to school and investigate the matter.

Parents should check the sites that children visit on the web and the type of books they read.
A child who is aware of the dangers will be more likely to drive away a rapist. Surveillance is the solution.