Rape is the most abominable crime against women. Sadly, there has been a spurt in reports of older males raping vulnerable girl children. This has become a serious issue concerning the entire nation.
Surveys of the National Sexual Violence Resource Centre show that a majority of rapes are unplanned which in fact disproves the theory that the rapists are usually ‘provoked’ by the flimsy clothing worn by the victim. More often than not, rapists usually tend to assert their dominance by overpowering innocent victims.
One begins to ponder the reason as to why there is an increase in number of rapes across this nation, especially child victims.
1. Psychologists suggest that rapists who are sexually abused in their childhood tend to become abusers themselves in the future.
2. On the other hand, there is a myth that once a man is sexually aroused and is deprived, he cannot control the urge to have sexual intercourse and so he reacts sexually, and violently.
3. Yet another assumption is that the abusers, especially older men, can be sexually deprived and hence depraved.
4. Men under the influence of alcohol, drugs, stress or depression are known to have committed the heinous crime and even rationalise their behaviour.
A Post Graduate teacher once identified a particular student in a class room who seemed to be very anxious and restless. When asked in private, she confessed to being repeatedly abused by her father for over 6 years. The trauma made her sleep-deprived and even made her feel suicidal.
Some men tend to pass off rape as a normal love relationship even while inducing sexual desire by force, believing they could get away with the law. The increase in the number of sexual assaults, experts believe, could be due to the offender believing that the laws are not stringent enough and not enforced effectively for definite punishment. He believes he could escape with help from smart lawyers, loopholes in law and a generally tardy justice delivery system. The power of money aids further in an abuser getting away.
Amid these scary reports of rising abuse stats, there is now crying need for stepped up vigil by the State agencies—the police, the prosecutors and the judges—the media, the social organisations (particularly those dealing with the welfare of women and children), families, schools/teachers, psychologists/psychiatrists, and medical professionals, to ensure better cover for protecting the vulnerable child/girl/woman, for healing the victim and for punishing the guilty in the most stringent manner, very quickly.
