Cyber Harassment To Acid Attacks: Why Do Some Men Resort To Violence On Facing Rejection?

Patriarchal men find it hard to handle rejections from women. They assume that they have the authority to approach any girl and she is obligated to accept them just because she exists. They are not accustomed to women having the freedom to make their own choices and such men end up committing some grave crimes in control of their toxic entitlement.

Society has portrayed women as dependent humans who do not deserve an opinion in matters or discussions. This is because society doesn't want to give them the authority to lead a life of their will and to put forward their views and expectations. Opinionated women were and are still seen as a threat to society, that is, patriarchy.

A lot of men spend years being the authoritarian figure in women's lives and giving away that authority seems like a tough task for them. A major example of this is how men find it really difficult to handle rejection by women and either do not consider their consent at all or try to blame them instead for 'pretending' to be available or 'seducing' them.

Singapore Man Harasses Woman On Rejection

Recently, a Singapore court sentenced a 31-year-old man named Koh Liang Min to three weeks in jail for harassing a woman online for rejecting his proposal. He met the woman through a mutual friend in 2021 and the two reportedly went out a few times. However, when the man shared his romantic feelings with her, she refused to say she didn't like him romantically. To make this less awkward, she even asked him to stop contacting her. Upset by the rejection, the man went on to make several social media accounts on different platforms to harass her by posting her pictures and personal information and calling her a home wrecker and prostitute. The incident not only affected the woman mentally but also financially as the freelance piano teacher lost at least two of her students.

There have been several such incidents that just show how men want women to reciprocate their feelings just because they have them. They consider wearing a nice dress, doing makeup, going to clubs or even meeting for dinner as signs that a woman is interested in them or is available. And before asking her, they assume that she will say yes because why would she say no to them? She is not allowed to have a choice or to be picky. She needs to accept what she is getting because who knows when she will get such a good catch.

There was another incident in Raipur where a 16-year-old girl was dragged by the hair and stabbed multiple times on the road by a 47-year-old man whose proposal she rejected. It is horrible to see that not only does the man dares to propose to a minor girl but even assaults her for naturally rejecting him for being the age of her father. Such a sick mentality is what is ruining the future of women in the country.

In the UK, a man strangled and threw three fireworks at a woman who rejected his proposal, in Chennai, a woman was slashed with a beer bottle and in Bangalore, a young man stabbed a 19-year-old girl just because he couldn't take no for an answer. Stalkers and psycho lovers throw acid on women when they are rejected which ends up ruining their entire life and not just their bodies.

The condition of women remains pretty much the same in the country, as the freedom increased, so did the struggle to repress it, as their voices raised, so were the attempts to mute them. And with every passing day, the attempts to deprive a woman of her freedom and choice get nastier and more horrible.

They and their families have to bear the shame while the man who commits the crime gets away with it with a little time in jail. When he comes back, he is even celebrated as a hero. Meanwhile, the woman and her family forever live in fear of ever giving 'wrong signals' to any random man accidentally because they never know which rejection might be their last in this patriarchal world.

These incidents not only affect a woman physically, but they also take a toll on their mental health, that is if they survive such attacks. The trauma never leaves them and they will never see the world the same as they did before. Society does not help them always and often blames them for being out late or giving 'wrong signals' by just existing.

Suggested reading: Strangled Partner, Threw Firecracker At Her: UK Horrific Case Of Revenge Against Rejection