A NEW VISION FOR WOMEN'S SAFETY: FROM FEAR TO FREEDOM

Remember how some kids used to bully you in school or college or that nasty colleague in your previous workplace... You would wonder what you have done to deserve this and why they would pick on you only when you had done nothing to please or displease them.

- NAMRATA KOHLI

Your analysis later revealed that you were perhaps the most vulnerable and seemingly easy prey in the eyes of these (predator) bullies.

Rape is bullying of the worst order. Often the act of rape is not driven primarily by sexual desire as much as the need to exert power and control over another person. Perpetrators use violence to dominate, humiliate, or degrade their victims, often stemming from their own feelings of inadequacy, anger, or resentment.

What would you tell your teenage version about how to deal with those bullies then. Put him in the right place by awarding a few punches or escalate the matter to higher authorities like the principal, the teacher or parent, right? But what happens if there is no way to address the bully in the system? That is exactly why the RG Kar type of incidents happen in the first place- there is no fear of facing consequences due to weak legal systems, societal silence, and an ecosystem where there is lack of support for victims. In fact we as a society almost end up blaming and shaming the victim rather than the perpetrator of the crime.