P: ISSN No. 0976-8602 RNI No.  UPENG/2012/42622 VOL.- XI , ISSUE- IV October  - 2022
E: ISSN No. 2349-9443 Asian Resonance
Attitude of Indian People Towards Women Attire As a Main Provoking Cause of Eve Teasing
Paper Id :  16694   Submission Date :  2022-10-09   Acceptance Date :  2022-10-22   Publication Date :  2022-10-25
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Yashika Verma
Research Scholar
Psychology
Chaudhary Charan Singh University
Meerut,Uttar Pradesh, India
Abstract
Any type of sexual harrasment or molestation towards women by men is termed as Eve teasing . The women are being the victim of so many rape sexual harassment, molestation, eve teasing. This research is an attempt to find more about eve teasing so the status and problems of women can be understood and can help to plan the strategies to save the girls from eve teasing. After data analysis the results explained that there are so many contributing factors in eve teasing. People have different opinion and views about factors responsible for eve teasing like lack of moral values, default parenting style, family environment, over influence of western culture. People agree that clothes can be a matter of gain attention but not to provoking male in any sense. The role of family and society play a very important role in the upbringing and developing such a biased and negative thinking towards female. People should teach moral values to their child and other family members. A positive healthy family environment and healthy education can reduce incidents like eve teasing and sexual harassment.
Keywords Eve Teasing, Sexual Harassment, Molestation, Moral Values, Parenting Style, Culture.
Introduction
The status of women in India has been seen many faces of changes over the past few decades and throughout the development of human race on earth. during the ancient time Indian women enjoyed equivalent status and rights like as that of their male counterparts. As soon as we enter in 8th century AD the condition of women went through more and more struggling and miserable. They had been forced kept in the boundaries of house and restricted to fulfill their subjective needs with the permission of male society. The natural rules of human rights were ignored to fulfill women desires. The facilities given to them were limited to roti kapda aur makan and they were not allowed to oppose the male face at any cost. Now a days, after more than 70 years of Indian Independence, a very slow change is being observed in the condition of women in India. Even the women is being the victim of so many rape sexual harassment, molestation, eve teasing. This research is an attempt to find more about eve teasing so the status and problems of women can be understood. Eve teasing is a saying used for sexual molestation or harassment of women by men. Another mode of eve-teasing is being seen nowadays through mobile phones by tracking girls through this technology mode. Eve teasing begins as an attempt to irritate a girl or catch her attention, staring in a lustful way, a cunning sound of whistle, , an indefensible bump, an apparently causative touching, the singing of suggestive sounds, passing vulgar remark, dirty and cheap gestures, showing of indecent photos or videos, and sometimes “unwanted call” or “missed call”, sending improper texts etc (Othondrila, O. 2014). The national capital records 40 cases of crime against women every day and high cases are of rape, molestation, and sexual harassment in public known as eve teasing official data shows what the figure have risen over the last year police station also shows that the number of molestation and eve teasing cases has increased as well National crime bureau recorded 405861 cases in 2019. Indian Penal Code Handel eve-teasing cases through with its sections 354 and 509 and there is an increased of 13.05 percent in assault or illegal force in oppose of woman with clear purpose to disgrace her decency; and 18.9 percent drop-off in cases of Insulting modestness of woman, respectively, from the year 2015 to 2016. The Indian journal of criminology criminalists (January-june1999 edition) has categorized eve teasing in to five heads:- 1.Verbal eve teasing 2. Physical eve teasing 3. Psychological harassment 4. Sexual harassment 5. Harassment through some object.
Objective of study
Even after more than 75 year of independence whenver you asked an Indian women has ever been go through or the victim of social evils like rape sexual harassment, molestation etc. No one will say “NO” beacuse somehow in majority every one has been molested/harrased/torture not only physically but mentally also. Eve teasing is one of the worst evil for them. Eve teasing involves young man annoying girls or women by making sexual innuendos against them in public or in work places. The spectrum of eve teasing starts from teenagers to middle aged men either literate or educate. Many cases of eve teasing can be heard in daily news and it is really hazardous for the society because it affects the mental and physical health of a girl or woman, as the result of being victim of eve teasing the girls are committing suicide, parents are afraid to send their daughter to schools so the drop out cases are also increasing, Women empowerment is being difficult etc. This research is an attempt to find more about eve teasing so the status and problems of women can be understood and can help to plan the strategies to save the girls from eve teasing.
Review of Literature

Among other crimes eve teasing is the most omnipresent and dangerous violence against women specially now days (Akhtar 2013). A lot of researchers had also paid attention to the consequecnes of eveteasing which affect a women’s both physical and mental condition.(Mirsky&North,2003;Bartlett & Rhode, 2006;Akhtar, 2013;Gadekar, 2016;Talboys, et al., 2017).Self confidence also affected by these incidence.Psychologists and social scientists suggest eve teasing to be a result of the frustration suffered by a majority of youth. Girls often embarrassed thinking over and over again how could they tell this to men perhaps every single girl has gone through such a traumatic mental disequilibrium once in her life. (Jyoti Puri 1999)  Ironically this only area where women do not feel any kind of discrimination as eve teasing is irrespective of caste, religion, status dress and complexion. (Martyn Rogers 2008)Infact eve teasing is a daily episode for a women which she is enduring in her life(Aktar 2013) many people are seen to blame western clothes a main and broad reason of eve teasing while it was researched so many time that women in both western and Indian clothes were starred from head to toe  over 100 times. It’s not the women clothing who provokes male to eve teased. It’s a mindset of male and catcall who do eve teasing that being a male they can do it for their fun and enjoyment. (Shoma Chatterji 2007).when a young girls harrased  in public and on public transportation it creates a significant obstacle to their  education and other work opportunities, infact they become responsible of all the acts and sometimes burden to their family in most of the case(Srija purimetla 2021) as it seen elsewhere in other developing nation(Porter et al.,2011).Individually a women had to face many unpleasant situations at social level because of eve teasing. Consequences of Eve teasing had a very negative effect which people cant even imagine like sufferer of eve teasing also start showing symptom of schizophrenia, depression(poojithal et al.,2019),anxiety and persistent stress (Laroiya and Arya 2017)and when female didn’t get any support from family it leads to increase frustration in them and ending up with committing suicide.

Methodology
The survey research design was used in the study.
Sampling

The data was collected purposely on a sample of 150 subjects including 75 males and 75 females as participants. The age of the participants was between 20 to 50 years. Participants mostly belonged to middle socioeconomic status with minimum qualification of graduation. The survey research design was used in the study.

Tools Used A self-developed Online Survey questionnaire on attitude towards women attire (constructed on surveymonkey.com) was used as the research instrument. It comprised five items with different alternatives for each item.
Statistics Used in the Study

The researcher shared the web link of online Survey questionnaire on attitude towards women attire individually with the participants via Gmail, whatsapp, Facebook etc. and requested them to fill it. Administration of the scale was preceded by a verbal consent assuring them of confidentiality and informing them about the purpose and nature of the research.

Analysis

The data was analyzed qualitatively with appropriate graphs 

Result and Discussion

To find out the attitude of Indian people towards women attire as a main provoking cause of eve teasing. Results are discussing through tables and graphs.
Table No. 1

Factors

Clothes

Lack of moral values

Family environment

Default parenting style

Western culture

Total responses

37

52

39

16

6

 Responses in %

24.67%

34.67%

26%

10.67%

4%


This graph is showing that 34.67% person people said that lack of moral values among eve teasers are responsible in incidents like eve teasing and 24.67% people agree with the attire or clothing style of women may instigate others (Anagol- McGinn 1994) while 26% people point on the family environment. If a girl is characterized by her clothes in the home than this will see in the mentality of every family member and they judge all the girl by her clothes. So it is the upbringing which plays a major roll. The whole men community can not be blamed, but it is the wrong upbringing feeds filthy thoughts in to their minds. (Beina Xu 2013)
Table No. 2

Factors

Behavior of Girl

Family Environment

Dress up of girls

Lack of moral values

Total responses

50

35

5

50

Total responses %

33.34%

23.34%

20%

23.34%


This graph is showing that in market or public place if eve teasing  happened then what would be the possible contributing factors are 33.34% people said that behavior of girls are the main cause because so many time some girls do this kind of attention seeking behavior which couldn’t be right in any form and people get chance to comment on it( A. Ganesan & M. Nithya,2015) but it’s a very one sided fact because it’s does not happened so many time girls behave very decently in public place still they faced so many vulgar comments and other stuff also. On the other hand 28.34 % people again point out on the family environment because whatever we behave somewhere we have learnt it from our parents and elder, some time if a boy or any male doesn’t get attention in home or somewhere doesn’t get that respect in home then he release his frustration by doing these activities and he may displace his frustration on a weak or vulnerable group. In spite all these reason 20 % people still says reason is a clothing of a girl

Table No. 3

Factors

Lack of moral values

Socialization

Behavior of girls

Clothes of girls

Total responses

40

75

20

15

Total responses %

26.67

50

13.34

10%


This graph is showing the response of people on item that if there female member faced such incident then who are responsible?  50 % of people said that socialization is a main contributing factor as it is a social learning we have seen from starting the gender inequality or biased behavior towards girl. Girls not even allowed going outside and in home also they covered their whole body with the chadar and duppta so now when girls are free to express their self, free to wear whatever they want still people exist in the society who didn’t accept this freedom of women and till now they opposed it. It is the society who is mainly responsible for such incidences. It is the society who frames the attitude of boys towards girls. . (sheikh mahinoor wafa 2013  Girls are mentioned as vulnerable object to women. Because of our patrirarichy system, Boys in the family are given a poor and distorted understanding of the  females. Right from the childhood boys are told that girls are inferior to them and they accept it and consider her as an object to prove manhood (B.Jyoti Kiran)

Table No.4

Factors

Western dress

Behavior of girls

Looks

Unknown

Total responses

50

40

34

26

Total responses %

33.34

26.67

22.67

17.34


This graph is showing that 33.34% people say that yes girls do wear western wear to seek attention of others. But it’s a much generalized thing all male and female wants to look good as it’s a today’s demand we all want the acceptance of others.26.67% people says that girls try to seek attention through their looks.

Table No.5

Factors

No

Yes

Unknown

Perhaps

Total responses

100

25

8

17

Total responses %

66.67

16.67

5.34

11.33


This graph is showing that  today’s people understand their responsibility 66.67% people said that they will help judiciary if any culprit found in their family.16.67% people said that they will not take any action towards their family member.

Findings 1. This is true that attire of women is not fully responsible. It is not the dressing the conduct or the way the women lead her life would somehow affect this. 2. Victims are not in any way responsible for the incident because now a day’s even a girl child hardly one or two year old become victim or target of different vulgar activities and at the same time 90 years old lady faced sexual harassment in her old age. 3. But this should be mentioned that while it’s not a dress or attire it’s an attitude of a girl or any other women in a public or market place. 4. The role of family and society play a very important role in the upbringing and developing such a biased and negative thinking towards female. 5. People should teach moral values to their child and other family members. A positive healthy family environment and healthy education can reduce incidents like eve teasing and sexual harassment.
Conclusion
Our purpose of this survey research was to know the basic reason of these evil incidents occurring in society day by day. Results explain that three are so many contributing factors in eve teasing people have different opinion and views and we found a very mixed perspective. People are aware with the fact that there are so many factors responsible for eve teasing like lack of moral values, default parenting style, family environment, over influence of western culture. People agree that clothes can be a matter of gain attention but not to provoking male in any sense.
Suggestions for the future Study 1.data must be collected from every state.
2.Gender and Age perception is also important. other variable should also add.
3.case study should add of the victim of eve teasing
Limitation of the Study 1. Sample is very small.
2. Data collection must be from both mode online as well ofline.
References
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