Sidra Fatima, TwoCircles.net
In a world tainted by the curse of masculinity, a word that translates solely to dominance, I walk as an object to be controlled — a mere silhouette in the landscape where my worth is measured by how easily I can be subdued. A lingering gaze capable of stripping me of my dignity follows while I weave my way through the crowd. This is not how they were born; rather, it is a learned behavior that is supported by a culture that denigrates women. Each day I traverse through this unforgiving battle called “the world,” where my safety remains perpetually uncertain.
— an anonymous survivor
What could lead a person to commit a horrific act like rape, stripping humanity from the very being? Rape is an act motivated by dominance, power and control rather than passion. The psychological and physiological profiles of those who commit such heinous acts usually reflect a frightening lack of empathy and an inability to see in others what they recognise and demand themselves — a dehumanisation not just consequent upon their behavior but prerequisite to it.
“When a criminal commits a crime, it is mostly them acting out of a momentary falling by the wayside in judgment — an impulse brought about by anger, fear or desperation. Normally, regret and feelings of guilt follow soon after when they realise the damage they have done, proving a faulty but existent moral compass. In the case of rapists, this emotional arc is disturbingly missing. Their actions are premeditated, driven not by passion but by a sense of entitlement and a wish for power, with no remorse or empathy. They see their victims not as humans but as objects to dominate, making rape an attack on the very essence of humanity,” former Bihar DGP Abhyanand told TwoCircles.net.
Neuroscientific research has proved that, much like other violent offenders, rapists often show abnormalities in those regions of the brain that regulate moral judgment, empathy and impulse control. There is a lowered activity within the prefrontal cortex. Anger combined with uncontrollably strong desires is a deadly combination. However, DNA alone does not create a rapist. Social influences, upbringing and environment share equal weight among these people. They are symptoms of a culture that normalises unchecked violence against women, toxic masculinity and the commodification of women.
According to Farha Momin, a Delhi-based psychologist affiliated with one of the city’s esteemed universities, “The evolution of such behaviors can be linked to a history of abuse, exposure to violence and societal norms that foster toxic masculinity. Especially toxic masculinity breeds entitlement over others’ bodies and the idea that manhood is signaled by dominance and aggression.”
“Deeply held psychological issues and beliefs take long-term and broad intervention to change; hence, the rate of recidivism remains high. The key is in early intervention, societal change and a justice system that holds people accountable and reforms them,” she said.
The Dhananjoy Chatterjee Case
The case of Dhananjoy Chatterjee, the first person to be hanged for rape in India, stands as a grim reminder of the country’s struggle against sexual violence. In 1990, Chatterjee, a security guard, was found guilty of the horrific rape and killing of a fourteen-year-old girl in Kolkata. After fourteen years of legal proceedings, he was finally executed by hanging in 2004, a decision that acted as a warning to others that the state would not stand for such brutality. Was it successful, though? The answer is complex.
While it provided a momentary sense of retributive justice to the masses, it did not help in curbing the continuing increase of sexual violence in India. Twenty years later, it is much more than a judicial problem. The recent rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata and subsequent demonstrations and cries of the public on the streets emphatically reminded one important thing: sexual assault has to be addressed at the level of societal transformation and not just by legal means.
Public demonstrations, while raising consciousness and a great deal of noise at the moment, are simply not enough unless they represent part of a broad cultural and personal transformation.
Sexual violence in India is a problem that cannot be solely attributed to legal deficiencies; it is also about the cultural attitudes and practices followed. It reflects the way we raise our children, speak about women and deal with vulnerable people. It is heartening to see the loud demands for justice and, at the same time, shocking to note that the very fabric of society continues to perpetuate acts of such brutality.
“There is no definitive conclusion, but one observed feature among rapists is antisocial personality disorder, regularly combined with sexual deviance. Traumatic experiences, like childhood abuse or neglect, increase the chances of acting out with violence in attempts to regain lost control. Narcissism, privilege and socialisation, including covering deviant acts, also feature prominently. The brain of a rapist, especially the amygdala, may be affected by prolonged abuse or bullying in such a way that their ability to be empathetic is diminished,” stated Shreya (name changed on request), a psychotherapist based in Delhi.
A society serious about genuinely protecting women needs to go much further than punitive measures. It needs to prevent violence and ensure cultural attitudes and behaviors are aligned, justice systems are effective and responsive and secure an enabling environment in which women are valued equally. Only such a holistic approach will allow protests to translate into tangible change and safety in the future.
Entrenching Vulnerability
Sexual violence is of ancient origin and can be dated back to times even before the emergence of human civilisation. Women have been exploited and abused at the hands of people in power since time immemorial. During the feudal period, landlords often sexually assaulted their female tenants, realising that the ladies were at their mercy. More often than not, the system that diminished the value of their lives had entrapped these women; most of them were forced into a bargain to take gifts or money in return for their silence. This is rape, too; it is an invasion of one’s dignity, a rape of the soul.
The exploitation of women hasn’t ended; it has only changed its face. Now, this finds expression in much more insidious ways and often hides behind the veneer of consent. It sometimes means that at work, women are compelled to exchange sexual favors for promotion or job security. Here, another angle to exploitation seldom discussed is really by no means less injurious. It feeds into the cycle of abuse, where the power is not balanced and women are demeaned into being objects of convenience.
“The exploitation of women in corporate settings is often donned in a more subtle, sinister mask. There is an inveterate culture abusing power dynamics, and women, oftentimes, are coerced into compromising positions in the masquerade of career advancement. Such is the fear of losing one’s job or getting retaliated against that many such instances get perpetuated silently. It is not just men as perpetrators; it is about an environment subtly condoning this behavior through looking away,” stated Shivangi (name changed on request), a sales manager at a multinational company.
Swift and Certain Justice System
While strong on other fronts, the Indian justice system is marred with inefficiencies, delays and resource crunches. Rape cases have been known to drag their feet in courts for years, whereby the victim undergoes further trauma in the process of trial. Sometimes, it takes years for the verdict to come; whereas, the conviction rates for rape in India are very low. Compared to the likes of other countries, such as Saudi Arabia, where the cases of rape are dealt with in an extremely fast fashion and the punishments meted out are very strict and public, the same cannot be said of India. Though the methods that such countries use may be extreme for Indian standards, there is something to be said about the deterrent effect of swift and certain justice.
In Japan, for instance, where many laws against sexual violence have been introduced, a premium is laid on the quick settlement of cases, where the perpetrator will be made to face the full force of the said law. Though this may indeed seem somewhat imperfect, the Japanese system does guarantee that a survivor is not victimised by the legal process.
In India, with a maze-like legal system, the plight of the victim cries is lost in the labyrinth of bureaucracy.
“For rape, the government should make mandatory that the probe be conducted by women police officers and the entire investigation must be video recorded. If it can be ensured that investigations are completed within 30 working days, and further that the fast-track courts deliver verdicts in another 30 days, it would doubtlessly add glory to the great service of a nation and our society,” said Dr Vikram Singh, former director general of police, Uttar Pradesh, who is now Chancellor of Noida International University.
A speedy trial and strict punishment have to be laid forth to create a deterrent. Criminals must realise that they can’t evade the clutches of the law and that they would be prosecuted and punished with the full weight of the law. Only then plays the deterrent at work, making them think twice before they commit this heinous act.
The psychology of a rapist, the culture and its enablers and the failures in justice say a lot more than an act of rape. This act of rape is not merely an act of violence but an expression of a society that has gone wildly without a compass. It is symptomatic of a world that devalues women — a world in which women are perceived as objects to be used and thrown away.
Unless we do much more than punish a few perpetrators, we will not eradicate this scourge. We need to look into all this to the bottom, and our means of justice and our mentality and attitude toward the girls have to be changed.