Violence all over the world
Violence against women and girls is among the most widespread, and devastating human rights violations in the world, but much of it is often unreported due to impunity, shame and gender inequality. A third of all women and girls experience physical or sexual abuse in their lifetime, according to the UN. Half of the women killed worldwide were killed by their partners or members of the family specially in rape cases.
No one can deny that being raped is one of the most distressing, horrendous and demeaning experiences anyone could have. It almost always leaves the victim with feelings of self-loathing, self-blame and rage, and can cause post-traumatic syndrome disorder (PTSD).
Why Men Rape ? –The psychology behind it
Have you ever wondered about the rapist? Why do men rape? A sexual assaulter can be any kind of person. This statement isn’t meant to make everyone scared of everyone else; rather, it just means that there isn’t one specific type who commits such kinds of crimes. That is what Dr. Samuel D. Smithyman, a US clinical psychologist, learned when he anonymously interviewed 50 men back in the 1970s who had confessed to having raped someone. These men had diverse backgrounds, social statuses and, of course, different personalities and mentalities. What surprised him was how unconcerned they sounded when talking about such a criminal offense.
Motives behind rape vary and are difficult to quantify. However, studies show that rapists have some common characteristics: a lack of empathy, narcissism , feelings of hostility towards women.
Is rape a sexual desire or an act of violence?
It is necessary to first establish that rape is not a behavioral or mental disorder, but a criminal offense. Although some rapists may have a psychological disorder, there is no such disorder that compels people to rape. In fact, most social scientists, psychologists and feminist activists are of the opinion that rape nearly exclusively has to do with issues of power and violence. They say that rape is not about lust but motivated by the urge to control and dominate, and that it could also be driven by hatred and hostility towards women.
Hostility towards women
Rapists often see women as sex objects who are there to fulfill men’s sexual needs. They tend to hold false beliefs, often described as rape myths. For instance, a rapist can believe that if a woman says no, she really means yes, and that she is just playing around or challenging him.
Types of rapist – There are several types of rapists. There is the opportunistic rapist, who seizes any chance for sexual gratification, such as the loss of self-control on the part of their victim under the influence of alcohol.
Another type is sadistic rapist, whose motivation is to humiliate and degrade victims.
The vindictive rapist has anger and aggression focused directly toward women. Such a rapist believes he is permitted to sexually attack women because he feels he has been hurt, rejected or wronged by women in the past.
Rapists often deny having raped their victims and freqently try to justify their actions. Men who admit rape often try to find excuses for what they have done.
Is there any solution ?
Sexual assault is an inexcusable act of violence and a criminal offense. Unfortunately, a lot of the victims remain silent to avoid stigmatization and being blamed by society, while their rapists are free to look for another victim. Once rape has been committed, it confirms that all measures to stall violence have failed. Reaction in the form of declaration of enhanced punishment is largely an expression of helplessness and frustration. The emphasis should be on prevention and rehabilitation.
Legislation by itself would not suffice because violence against women is a deep rooted social problem. It is worth quoting late Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who remarked: “Legislation cannot by itself normally solve deep rooted social problems. One has to approach them in other ways too, but legislation is necessary and essential and hence that it may give that push and have educative factors, as well as the legal sanctions behind it, which help public opinion to be given a certain shape.
Women cannot solve the problems by themselves. Women should understand men and men should understand women. Both should work together to eradicate the menace.
