Are the Daughters Safe Anywhere? A Quantitative Analysis of Rape Crisis in West Bengal, India
摘要
The present study aims to understand the magnitude of rape in the Indian state of West Bengal and illustrate the most robust determinants of men’s rape proclivity in Bengal's society. Direct field observations and several case studies have been conducted, and various secondary data sources have been used to understand the magnitude of rape in West Bengal. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) has been run using extraction methods of principal component analysis to assess the underlying factors structures from a set of observed variables (38 close-ended questions or items) and were subjected to the focus-group participants (N = 258) and instructed to give weights based on 5-point Likert scale. Consequently, the mean score has been calculated to determine the satisfaction level among the respondents regarding factors. This study reveals that women are not safe elsewhere in Bengal. The existing patriarchal ideologies inherently act as a significant determinant to exacerbate sexual nuisance in society. Besides, individual perpetrators’ attitudes, socio-economic adversity, poor legal interventions, and the adverse physical environmental design eventually accountable for enhancing the situational environment of rape in West Bengal which collectively explained 92.02% of the total variance. Yet the initial factor, i.e. ‘societal stereotype thinking and attitudes’, explains much of the variables (13.28%), but many respondents considered ‘environmental adversity', ‘relational factors', ‘criminals’ individual attitude and adverse socio-economic conditions' are mostly liable for rape victimisation among women in Bengal’s society. This study also executed a micro-level assessment of anti-rape measures and a model-based situational crime prevention measures have been suggested. This study would help the stakeholders take necessary initiatives by adding threat visualisation and minimising the rate of such ghastly criminal nuisance throughout West Bengal thereby contributing to society.