Do Women Indirectly Pay for Sexual Crimes?

Earlier, I talked about safety in India and punishments given to violators. This article talks about how most of us (females) indirectly pay the price for sexual crimes.

According to the Indian Psychiatry Society, Interpersonal violence whether it is sexual or nonsexual, remains a major problem in large parts of the world, as we are already aware of. Sexual violence against children and women brings with it long-term sequelae, both psychiatrically and socially. If you must’ve noticed, I’ve emphasized the word “Socially”.

Why?

The long-standing “social” effects of sexual assault affect women more than men. In a country like India, where lack of safety and patriarchy are constantly fighting for the first spot, women are almost always on the receiving end. Studies have proven that cultures which are described as feminist, provide equal power to both men and women but, sexual violence is likely to occur more commonly in cultures that foster beliefs of perceived male superiority and social and cultural inferiority of women. Sounds a lot like the country we’re living in right now.

The fear and anger that stems from sexual violence is widespread. It can be seen and felt across the schools, offices, public places, etc. This fear leads to absenteeism, low productivity, sick leaves, etc., which in turn affect the economy. Besides, these crimes also induce a large amount of financial and economic costs. These costs include medical services, criminal justice expenses, crisis and mental health service fees, and contributions to individuals affected by sexual violence. Everywhere we go, everything we wear, everything we do, there is always that one thought that nags us at the back of our minds. “Will something unfortunate happen to me today?”

Here’s a little story to put things into perspective.

After finishing high school, quite a few of us wish to study at Delhi University (DU). Even I wanted to do the same. Given the sky-high cut-offs every year, securing a spot in the university can be a task. But what happened once I got in? I wasn’t allowed to go.

Why?

Delhi is often referred to as the “rape-capital” of India. (Makes me wonder; if the country’s capital is called the “rape-capital”, is India synonymous with Rape?) However, I wasn’t allowed to go because my parents thought I wasn’t old enough to handle myself in such a dangerous place. The fact that an 18-year-old girl had to give up such a great opportunity because of events that occurred in the past frustrated me. It made me realize how ‘women’ indirectly and unconsciously pay for someone else’s crimes. If the criminals in Delhi (and all other states) could sit at home, not assault women, mind their own business, and try contributing to the country’s economy, maybe the state of Delhi (and all other states) would be considered much safer and I would be able to complete my education there.

I believe the social implications of assault are slightly more important than the psychological implications, as it affects a larger population. Ps. In no way am I implying that the psychological effects must be ignored.

Think about it, if assaulters actually sat in their respective houses and used their skills to do some job, serve their country and add to the Gross National Product (GNP) of the country, then the woman and economy of the country would benefit positively. ‘We’ would be able to do, wear, and go wherever we wanted at any time of the day or night without having the underlying fear of being attacked. A lot of us wouldn’t have to give up educational, employment, etc. opportunities because the place in which the institution or company is located was unsafe.

Often, when women head out elders say, “stay safe, stay away from dangerous places”. Instead, if elders told the boys when they headed out, “be responsible, don’t mentally or physically harm a woman”, maybe we’d have a more ethically responsible society. I’m not saying you can end all the problems in society by just saying that to your boys, but it could be a start.

Educating your boys isn’t enough. They need to know and understand how the opposite gender has to unwillingly let go of many golden opportunities. They need to know and understand the constant, undying fear we all have in our minds. They need to know and understand the psychological effects of such traumatic events. Merely teaching boys to “respect” women isn’t enough.