Response Patterns of Girl Students to Eve-teasing: An Empirical Study in a University Setting

Authors: [1] Dr Moly Kuruvilla [2] Ms. Fathimath Suhara

Pages: 1-5

Abstract:

Eve-teasing is a euphemism used in India for sexual harassment or molestation of women by men. The indifference shown by the society to eve-teasing and the way eve-teasers move around freely without any objection from the people concerned serve to nurture the sexual harassment tendency. The present study to identify the response patterns of girl students to eveteasing was taken up in the campus of University of Calicut, Kerala. The sample consisted of 120 respondents who were post graduate and research scholar students and the data was collected using a questionnaire. The results revealed that the whole sample have faced many attempts of eve-teasing in their life. Bus is the place in which majority of the eve-teasing incidents happen. Most of the sample was against the opinion that the dressing style of women and women’s behavior patterns is responsible for eve-teasing. Lack of respect to women and lack of strict punishment to the offenders were found to be the major reasons for amounting incidents of eve-teasing. Afew members of the sample were given advice from family members, especially brothers as not to show any reaction to the offenders but adjust with the situation and escape from the humiliations that may follow. While half of the sample expressed their willingness to respond directly to the criminal, the other half conveyed that they will make a complaint to the authority. Suggestions to curb eve-teasing as proposed by the respondents are included in the paper.