India, once hailed as a beacon of hope for women’s rights, is now grappling with a devastating crisis. Each day, around 90 women are raped across the nation. However, India’s National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) suggests that the number might be higher, as many rape cases go unreported. Recently, a heinous rape case in Kolkata drew attention, where a woman was raped and brutally murdered. The police reported that the prime accused, Sanjay Roy, had violent and disturbing pornographic content on his mobile phone, to which he was addicted.
The availability of the internet in India has also facilitated the distribution and access to pornography. Approximately 12% of internet websites are related to pornography, with viewers spending about $3,000 to $4,000 per second. It has been observed that youths spend significant amounts of time on the internet watching pornographic content.
Pornography often portrays sexual acts as unnatural and exaggerated. Some genres depict aggression and non-consensual acts, presenting distorted views of sex and consent. Women are frequently objectified as sex objects and are often shown as submissive to men in pornographic films, perpetuating harmful gender stereotypes and power imbalances. Additionally, rape myths such as “victims ask for it” or “no means yes” may be reinforced by certain pornographic narratives.
Research led by Neil Malamuth suggests that regular exposure to such content can increase the acceptance of sexual aggression and lead to desensitization toward violence. It has also been reported that such pornographic content conditions teenagers—whose hormones are in a developing state—to become aggressive, cruel, and anxious. These teenagers may exhibit abnormal characteristics such as perversion, sadism, violence, and sexual coercion. As adults, some of them are prone to committing gruesome crimes like rape.
Scandinavian countries are known for their low crime rates against women, and this is partly due to their comprehensive education systems. They provide robust sex education to youth. Additionally, the government regulates pornographic content, ensuring that its distribution is controlled and does not contribute to societal harm.
To address this issue, India must implement comprehensive sex education and regulate pornographic content more effectively. Such measures can help shift societal attitudes and reduce sexual violence. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of citizens to act with humanity and be accountable for their actions.
