1Professor and Head, Department of Community Medicine, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Amritsar
2Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Amritsar
3Professor & Head, Department of Forensic Medicine, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Amritsar
4Epidemiologist, National CDC, New Delhi
5Junior Resident,, Department of Community Medicine, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Amritsar
Rape is one of the most heinous and ancient crimes known to mankind. Although no age is protected against it, the adolescents and young adults are up to four times more vulnerable to this type of crime. Hence, the present study was conducted to observe the opinions and perceptions of first year undergraduate students about date rape in district Amritsar.
The study was conducted in threeundergraduate colleges- a medical college, an engineering college and an arts college. By adopting convenience sampling, 300 undergraduate students of first year in these three colleges were enrolled for the study. A pretested proforma was administered to the students after taking informed consent and assuring the confidentiality of the information obtained. The data so obtained was statistically analysed and conclusions drawn.
Familiarity with the term date rape was found in 65.7% of the students. Main source of information were siblings and peers. The perpetrator of date rape was thought to be both stranger and socially known person to the victim by 51.3% of the respondents. 56.3% were undecided on whether or not date rape should be reported.
About half of the respondents considered victim responsible for the act of violence and almost equal number could not make up their minds whether or not date rape should be reported. Social reforms need to be brought about to change the mind-set of the youth so that social justice may be rendered.
Date Rape, First Year Students, Opinions, Perceptions
