Inside a seminar hall at R.G. Kar Medical College, the brutalized corpse of a second year post graduate trainee (PGT) Doctor of Respiratory Medicine was discovered—another case of rape-murder. Upon arriving at the crime scene, police discovered the victim had multiple injuries and blood was oozing out from her eyes, mouth and private parts. It also said that the mattress on which the body was found, and that she was only partially dressed. 

It has been revealed that the offender used to drink heavily and married four times. Later, when his phone was examined, pornographic videos were discovered. The sensational case again highlights increased brutal rape-murder cases putting women’s safety in jeopardy.  

Rising Statistics: The Surge in Rape Cases

 In India, the fourth most frequent crime against women is rape. In 2021, India recorded 31,677 cases of rape, or 86 cases per day on an average. Almost 49 cases of crime against women were reported every hour.  

But earlier it was men doing these crimes, but now children of age 11-16 are doing it. It is heart-wrenching to see such news every day, wherein not just men but teenagers who come under juvenile category were the attackers.  

Shockingly, there are minimum 2-3 such stories every day and surprisingly it involves kids who don’t even understand the concept of getting physically involved. 

This is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. If we sit with our family and friend, we often see them talking about politics, gossip or business; why not about sex-education? 

The Role of Pornography in Increasing Assaults

Technology has made everything easily accessible. On some apps there is an age restriction, but you can always fill in the wrong date of birth or click on 18+, ironically webpages won’t ask you to show proof that you’re an adult. 

Children are immature, they do or say what people around them do.  

One of the main reasons for increase in rape cases is porn. Children find it interesting to watch as they are young, they get attracted to it. As they’re unaware of what porn is, soon they become addicted. When they start watching it regularly, they want to try it; which leads to rape.  

Recently I read that a teen raped his sister and then murdered her. What is shocking in this news is, the teen’s family helped cover the incident.  

Yet another case unfolds, where a girl of 8 years was gangraped and murdered by her seniors (aged 12 and 13 years).  

Social and Cultural Influences on Sexual Violence

Earlier the reason of these crime was justified as girls were reprimanded for wearing revealing clothes, but nowadays, a small baby girl or an aged woman is also not spared by these criminals. 

Movies like Kabir Singh or Animal also have a bad influence on kids as it promotes how boys can objectify women. 

What can you do to prevent such incidents? 

Parents need to start talking about sex-education with their children. Even menstruation is a taboo in country like India. Also, educational institutions should teach children about sex-ed, which is the need of the hour. As a parent, you need to be open about every topic while conversing with your child, so they don’t lie to you and talk with you. 

The startling increase in rape cases—especially those in which minors are the perpetrators—highlights a crisis that must be addressed immediately. Thousands of incidents are reported each year, so it’s clear that the conventional narratives surrounding sexual violence are changing and exposing disturbing patterns in which even young children are engaging in horrible behavior. This change emphasizes how urgently society must address the underlying causes of this phenomenon. 

Addressing the cultural beliefs and societal conventions that fuel this crisis is our shared duty. We can significantly reduce the incidence of sexual assault and make sure that our children are raised in a more secure and knowledgeable environment by placing a high priority on education, communication, and awareness.