PREVALENCE OF RAPE MYTHS IN CONTEMPORARY INDIA

Abstract

Rape has been perceived as the most brutal crime against women that affects not only the physical being but also the psychological being of the victim. We know that several rape cases take place in our society but very few are reported. The most important reason for this is the prevalence of rape myths in our society which are false beliefs about rape and about those who are affected by it. India is a developing country and is changing quickly. It is witnessing remarkable developments in several fields such as science, technology etc.  But unfortunately the crime rate is also increasing in this country, especially the crime of rape. The present research study is an attempt to understand that to which degree the rape myths are prevalent in India. The paper will also bring into light the amount, respondents in the study are aware of rape facts. For the present study 100 individuals were selected between the age of 18-35 years, out of which 50 were males and 50 were females. The paper reveals that rape myths are quite common even in the present era and for a few myths the respondents seemed totally unaware of the fact behind them