Now Reading: Beyond the good man and bad man binary in sexual violence
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Beyond the good man and bad man binary in sexual violence
The Bombay High Court’s reversal of Tarun Tejpal’s acquittal has renewed discussion about how men respond to sexual violence, The Hindu reports. Due process and the presumption of innocence remain proper legal…
The Story in Brief
The Bombay High Court’s reversal of Tarun Tejpal’s acquittal has renewed discussion about how men respond to sexual violence, The Hindu reports. Due process and the presumption of innocence remain proper legal concerns, especially as Mr Tejpal has appealed to the Supreme Court. But public discussion need not stop at whether conduct meets the criminal law’s threshold.
Research on #MeToo coverage found that men are often framed as either victims of masculinity or inherently good or bad. The article argues that men must also examine everyday assumptions about flirting, persistence, seniority, alcohol, friendship, professional hierarchies and silence when another man crosses a line. Sexual violence, it says, can emerge from ordinary social relationships, not just from so-called monsters.
The Indian Opinion
The lazy narrative is that men must either defend every accused man or declare themselves allies, while another exaggeration treats sexual violence as the work of a few monsters. Both avoid harder questions about conduct, power and male silence. A criminal court must apply the law and protect due process. Society can still judge harmful behaviour before it becomes a prosecutable offence. The Supreme Court’s eventual ruling will settle the legal question, not the wider one of what men should have challenged earlier.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
