I Think: Journalists should encourage people to not conceal sexual assault
Kousar Banu, social work trainee, Bangalore
I am an avid TV viewer and get most of my news from there. I also read the newspaper sometimes.
I feel scared, overwhelmed and helpless when I see news on rape and sexual assault. I have read about how it can happen to anyone (be it a child, teenager or elderly person), anywhere (be it in a house or a hospital), anytime (broad daylight or night time). It makes me feel ashamed at how society has progressed.
The last incident I read about is still fresh in my mind. It was about a man assaulting a woman in broad daylight on a crowded street. And even after hearing her cries, nobody came to her rescue. Reading about this brutality made me feel scared and angry. It made me lose hope and trust in people of this society.
The media should play a more active role when they cover these stories. They should try to report not only how or when the incident occurred, but also what happened afterwards — how is society treating the victim, what punishment is the perpetrator facing, what is his family is going through because of his wrongdoings.
Sexual violence is a huge problem in our country. Incidents like these are sometimes concealed and not reported because of the fear of how society will treat the victim/survivor and their family. This happens especially in rural India where the victim is labelled and treated as an outcast.
Parents and teachers should educate their children about these issues when they hit puberty. Sex education should be mandatory, comprehensive, medically accurate, and taught throughout students’ school years. They should also teach them about respecting women and to not treat them as objects. It’s our duty to educate the future generation and create awareness.
The media has a lot of power. The way they portray incidents makes a huge difference and is the reason for any change. They should help create awareness and should work with similar minded people to bring about change.
Journalists should advocate tirelessly and they should highlight these incidents. They should encourage people to report these incidents. They should also focus on the punishment/sentence given. I feel there is an increase in assault because the perpetrator thinks he can get away with it but if people get to know the punishment maybe then he will not commit it.
This is one in a series of articles that NewsTracker published from 25 November to 10 December as part of the #16Days activism, aligned with the UN’s International Day for Ending Violence Against Women. This piece appeared on Day 15.
