Since there has been a deluge of Rape threads on PDF , i think it is would be worthwhile to reflect upon the causes of Rape rather than indulging in mudslinging on that topic.
It would be a good beginning to start with the definition of Rape. Rape is defined as an act of compelling a person to have sexual intercourse by using Physical force and duress.Having stated that, there are considerable cultural differences as to which act would come under the definition of rape with marital rape being the most important point of divergence with age of consent, violation using digits and inanimate objects being another point which has considerable legal divergence.
The extent of problem
Internationally Rape instances per 10,0000 population varies between 0.1 in Egypt to 92.9 in lesotho with 4.9 as median in 2012. Compared to this India has a rate of 1.7.
But rape statistics need to be taken with a bucketload of salt as Rape is still most underreported crime globally and its reporting rate is based on to large extent on the legal protection provided to women in a legal system, attitude of society towards rape as to what extent society engages in victim blaming in case of rape and the attitude women have towards rape.In a patriarchal society, women have comparatively low power vis-a-vis males, even a grown up may not know the concept of consent and private and sexual space.This is one of the reason that Sweden has highest number of reported rapes in the world compared to that of highly patriarchal societies where women have oppressed status.Also certain jurisdiction criminalizes adultery which proves a dis-incentive to women when it comes to reporting of rapes as failing to prove a rape in court would open them to charges of adultery leading to their incarceration.
Another peculiarity about rapes is that most of the rapist are known to victim.Globally 96% of rapes are committed by people who are known to victims while only 4% are committed by strangers.The general perception is otherwise due to the phenomenon of availability heuristic due to those 4% having a wide reportage in media.
Global causes and cause specific to subcontinent
Rapes occur when there exist a power differential between Victim and perpetrator. The underlying cause of rape may be Sexual lust, frustration , compromised judgement or simple opportunism but in order for rape to occur, there need to exist a temporal power difference which may come from difference in physical strength, number, societal position or trusteeship. This is also the reason that rape has comparative high frequency in conflict zones,prisons and orphanages.
The study of underlying Psychological causes of rape could be given a multifacted treatment, each deriving it's root from a major school of Psychology.
1. Psychodynamic theory.
This school of thought was developed by sigmund freud and concerns itself with underlying psychological forces concerning human behavior.This theory could be applied to the problem of studying rapes in following manner.
a. Faulty development during Anal stage (1-2 years of age)
According to Psychodynamic theory, anal stage is important as it inculcate a sense of control and inability to fulfill developmental goals during this stage may lead to a person lacking in self control.(over-controlling is equally bad but does not concerns discussion).Eric Erickson defines this stage as the one in which an individual suffers an ego crisis between Autonomy Vs Shame and doubt.Successful negotiation of this stage results in a child who knows the difference between right and wrong and is willing to choose right most of the time.
The subcontinental specific problem that could be traced to this stage is the overindulgence in male child in subcontinent due to higher value attached to male child socially.This leads to a lot of males never negotiating this stage successfully and developing immature ego. Another important factor is maternal overindulgence in a male child which never allows an independent male psyche to emerge. This leads to a lot of males remaining mama's boy for life.
b.Lowering of Subconscious barriers in intoxicated state.
Psychodynamic theory postulates three levels of consciousness unconscious, pre conscious and conscious.
Unconscious is a reservoir of biological urges and material in this state cannot be recovered in conscious state. Preconscious contain those mental events that are not conscious but can be brought to consciousness with some effort it derives it's content from both conscious perception and unconscious. Conscious contain part of mental life which we are aware of.
The structure of personality of a person has a three layered structure containing ID,Ego and Super Ego.
Id, which is completely unconscious is a reservoir of Basic Instincts. It is based on Pleasure principle and is amoral.It blindly seeks to satisfy its impulses working on pleasure principle.
Super Ego is the ethical and moralistic province of personality and consist of all three forms of consciousness.It is guided by idealistic and morality principles as opposed to reality principle of Ego and Pleasure principle of ID.It has no contact with outside world and places a demand of perfection an an individual.
Ego has a contact with reality and takes decision on all three levels.It reconciles the blind claims placed by ID and Superego through demands of reality.
When a person is in intoxicated state, his defenses and ego integrity gets lower and impulses from subconscious becomes dominant and the person loses moral control.This could lead to alcohol and drug related crime of which rape is a subset.If a person has some unresolved unconscious conflicts ( he hates his mother, wife ,girlfriend or is simply a forced virgin ) it may result in the defense mechanism of projection in which he would project his frustration on his victim.(to understand it members can watch hostel II movie of Eli Roth)
2.Psycho-social and cultural theories.
The Psychosocial and cultural causes could be divide into following categories
a.Faulty socialization
The Rapist while growing up may have gone through faulty socialization pocess which may have resulted in inculcation in him, male chauvinistic values.
This process have play an important role in behavioral development as a lot of behaviors including aggression are learned.This was demonstrated by famous BOBO doll experiment performed by Bandura.
This process has very important role in developing a chauvinistic mindset in an individual.In an patriarchal society, a male is raised under the notion that he is more worth then a female. This belief when counters reality leads to an ego conflict which results in internal breakdown of Individual.This is the primary reason that violence towards female is very high in social transition zones which are in first stage of embracing egalitarian values as the internalized superiority complex of male face a reality test when confronted with a socially mobile female.
b. Bad child rearing practice.
Child rearing practices are very important in determining the personality of an individual. Baumrind divided parental styles on two continuum: Response and demand.
Parents who are demanding and responsive were termed authoritative,the ones unresponsive and demanding Authoritarian, those who were responsive and undemanding permissive and who were neither were neglectful.
Of these parenting styles, authoritative is considered to be best while others lead to some kind of conflict in an individual.
Those reared in authoritarian setting may take to repression of their instincts which may turn them into a monster when they have a chance to exploit others.
The ones who are permissive results in pampered and spoiled children having low self control.
While those who have been neglected could lead to a moral structure which is completely unhinged from society and may have inferiority complex if they attribute their neglect to themselves ( a loner) and an anarchist outlook if they attribute their neglect to external agency (lord Voldemort).
The subcontinent specific problem in this department is the pre-ponderence of authoritarian, neglect and permissive style.
c. Bad role models
In any patriarchal society, there is latent bias against female, even if there is not an overt one.This bias is reflected in form of bad role models which come in form of abusive husbands,Eve-teasing seniors and exploitative boss.These bad role models reinforce their outlook by providing vicarious reinforcement thus leading to a situation in which a male would consider disrespecting female as normal which would eventually lead to generalization on sexual front.
d.Low self esteem.
It is observed that most of the rapist have a low self esteem. Even rape committed by people in power are a result of Ego-damage and unresolved childhood conflicts which are a drag on their self esteem.
3. Classical and instrumental conditioning.
Behaviorism is a school of thought which was propounded by pavlov, watson and skinner. Its core philosophy is that of positivism which is dependent on measured attributes rather than descriptive analaysis.
It states that behaviors that are reinforced are retained while those which are not are discarded.
The relation that conditioning has with rape could be derived from the reinforcement that the eve-teaser which could be labelled as level 1 sexual offender gets from his group. also when parents do not censure bad behavior of male child, they are in a way contributing to rape epidemic.
What could be done to improve this Rape situation
The potential mitigating steps could be
1. Improving child rearing practices.
By improving child rearing practices, one could inculcate good values in a child which would be beneficial in overall development of child which would have reduced number of rapes as a by product
2. Enhancing punishment for rape.
The enhanced punishment for rape would act as deterrence but punishment of rape should always be less than that of murder and violent rape as equal punishment would be harmful for victim as it would give an incentive to rapist to kill the victim
3. A strong state
A strong state is required not only to enforce right of rape victim but also to enforce any kind of right.
4. Making mid-level bureaucracy sensitive to plight of victims.
5. Making women friendly laws which does not discriminates against them and ensuring women have equality before law.
On a concluding note, i would like to touch upon the issue of marital rape. While there could not be a second thought regarding the right a woman has in a marriage. Marriage does not abrogates the right that a woman has over her body and compelling her to sex could never be justified on that ground but regarding it being put in statue book as a punishable offence, Is it possible to reliably prosecute it? How would it be proven whether Sex was consensual or forced as in a marriage both parties are expected to have regular sex (theoretically).
What are your views on the issue.
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