Rape: a devastating act, must end!

According to the statistics, rape is reported every fifteen minutes in India. The rape victims are not from the same age group. The report claims that mostly the rape victim is either young or juvenile and very few cases are reported for middle-aged adults. Anyways, rape is a cruel act regardless of who the victim is, what the gender is, and what age group they belong to.

Many of the rape cases have been unreported in this country due to the typical Indian mindset. The meaning of saying the typical Indian mindset is many people think that reporting a rape case might bring shame to their family in society. Further, according to some people, the main reason behind the cause of rape is the victim’s attire. The most common comment is, "she wore too revealing clothes." The rapists of the 'Nirbhaya rape case' 2012 shamelessly in front of the media stated that the girls dressing sense are the leading cause behind the rape. All the people who think women's clothing is the reason behind the rape should think about the juvenile girls who were raped. Let me drag your attention to the 'Kathua rape case' 2018, where seven men targeted an eight-year-old Asifa Bano, out of which four were police officers. This child had been drugged and then brutally raped multiple times by different men. Now think, does wearing revealing clothes is an actual reason behind the rape? Moreover, staying out in the late-night has also been believed to be one of the reasons. A girl walking on the street in the late night does not give anybody the authority to judge her. The late-night talk reminds of the 'Priyanka Reddy rape case.' She was a doctor. She was returning to her home after her duty on the night she was raped. Firstly, she was ambushed then pushed into the bushes, gang-raped and burnt when she was unconscious by the group of rapists. The police claimed that the rapists had been drinking whiskey before they attempted rape. What was the fault of Priyanka that night?

Let's discuss the effects and aftermath of rape. Rape impacts the victim in a physical, psychological, and sociological way. The rape severely affects the genital and reproductive areas of the victim. In some cases, it might lead to pregnancy as well. I presume that all of us are quite aware of how rape affects physically. The situation aggravates when the victim starts to feel depression, anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), suicidal thoughts, etc. Few of the victims start self-loathing and eventually end up committing suicide. Sociologically, victims may suffer isolation, abandoned by friends or family, being called as "damaged" if the victim was a virgin and what not. As a result, the victim suffers from trauma. At last, the most common mistake committed by the people is 'victim-blaming.' The female rape victim gets blamed for wearing so-called 'inappropriate clothes,' or walking on the road till late night or whatever, whereas the male rape victim gets blamed for being too weak. We all as HUMAN must understand that victim-blaming only harms the victim's mental state and does no good. Thereby, I urge all the people out there who intend to do this wicked crime, think for a while before ravaging somebody's life wholly.

The mentality of the people who try to commit this crime seems to be destructive and fierce and it surely cannot be changed for everyone; thus, protection needs to be taken every single time. Let's discuss the safeguards which can be implemented socially and individually to avoid being the victim of rape. The basic knowledge of sex education should be imparted in schools. All the students must be taught the difference between a 'good touch' and a 'bad touch.' Many schools offer self-defense classes, which is the most powerful tool and everyone must know for their safety. At last, most importantly, the government must implement stern punishment for the rapist. The seriousness of punishment affects the rate of crime. Few countries like China, Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, where the rapist is sentenced to death, that is why the rate of rape is low. In Russia, if the victim kills the rapist during the rape, it is considered under self-defense. Individually, one can carry pepper or chilly spray, a safety-pin in the bag for protection and consider going out in the night with a trusted person.

Walking on the road alone makes me feel unsafe because the surrounding environment has become too toxic and scary. Considering precautions during hard times is the only solution. I request everyone out there to take the necessary precautions while going out because not all strangers can be trusted. I also request everyone to be kind to each other. Let us all together restore the faith in humanity!

Pic Credit: Richard Potts