Nandini Sharma
Gender-based Violence is a global health concern that affects most age groups across the globe. A significantly vulnerable section of population being both victims and potential changemakers for the same is the Adolescent population. Adolescence, as defined by the American Psychological Association and accepted by most nations across the globe is “the period of human development that starts with puberty (approximately 10 to 12 years of age) and ends with physiological and neurobiological maturity, shown in neuroscientific research to extend to at least age 20, with significant brain development in the late adolescent stage of 18 to 20 yrs”.
During this raw age, Adolescents are subjected to both internal and external factors of distress. Significant external factors include preferential treatment, Gendered socialization, hegemonic masculinity reinforcing rigid patterns of behaviour often co-functioning with gender policing and gendered language.
The social foundations of Gender-Based Violence
The sociological roots of GBV can be traced in and examined through the phenomenon of hegemonic masculinity, gender policing, gendered language, and gender socialization. These factors do not act independently, rather work as multifaceted variables to the same problem. They act as the mediums to converge, reinforce, and institutionalize the power dynamics that keep the adolescents stuck in a cycle of fear, shame, and distress.
Gender Policing simply refers to the process that facilitates social enforcement of normative gender expressions and behaviours. Gender policing is common for adolescents who deviate from the expected gender performance. This may be done in terms of dress, speech, interests, or emotional expression and often turning them subject of ridicule, ostracization, or direct violence. Gender policing among this age is not confined to peer interactions; it is often deeply embedded in the social practices of schools and Adult-teen interaction patterns, disguising itself as gender socialization. Gender policing and bullying have a thin line between them as practices by adolescent peers can adversely impact the fragile minds of children.
Source: Pinterest.com
What is Gendered Language and its role in GBV?
Language is an essential instrument leveraging the construction and execution of gender norms. Gendered language plays a critical role in shaping perceptions and legitimizing violence among adolescents. Words, jokes, slurs, and phrases that demean, sexualize, or infantilize others based on gender are, both, offensive and serve to reinforce existing power structures. Linguistic structures and gendered language together shape and reinforce gender hierarchies in society on a day-to-day basis. Thus, making it a concrete aspect.
Research shows that gendered language affects social perception, with masculine-coded terms often linked to leadership and competence, while feminine-coded terms are associated with care and emotional labour (Lakoff, 1975; Cameron, 2005). Connell’s (2005) theory of hegemonic masculinity, precisely describes how social expectations rigidly define gender roles, even in mundane activities such as walking, gestures and other behavioural attributes. This, combined with gendered language often targeted towards non-conforming adolescents through sexist, misogynistic and homophobic slurs create gaps in the adolescents’ understanding of healthy gender norms and toxic behaviour patterns.
Why is Appropriate Gender Socialization important?
Underlying all these processes of gender norm formation and practice is the foundational force of gender socialization. Gender socialization refers to the lifelong process through which individuals learn and internalize the gender norms, and are influenced by familial, educational, and media interactions (West & Zimmerman, 1987).
Essentially, society teaches children, the expectable models of behaviours based on their assigned gender at birth. Simone de Beauvoir’s (1949) idea of distinguishing gender from biology, which states that ‘one is not born, but rather ‘becomes’, a woman,’ resonates with the current struggle to define and conceptualize femininity outside of the constraints of predetermined gender roles. Her theory critiques the way society ‘imposes’ womanhood on people instead of letting them define and explore it on their own.
The idea of gender not being an innate identity but rather a ‘series of socially constructed behaviours’ that people continuously enact in order to ‘perform’ their gender is also highlighted in Judith Butler’s (1990) theory of ‘gender performativity.’ Adolescents ‘Perform’ their genders in accordance with what their social environment deems ‘right’ or ‘acceptable’ as directed by hegemonic masculinity. Individuals not falling under the socially set criterion of behaviour directed by social norms become more vulnerable and more prone to targeted GBV. When aggressive or dominant behavior is rewarded and submissive behavior is expected, the groundwork for GBV is laid.
Source: Pinterest.com
Face of Gender-based violence in India
According to the report of Gender-based Violence and its Predictors: A Cross-sectional Study Among the Adolescents of Madhya Pradesh, Central India a study published in the Indian Journal of Community Medicine March 2024 edition, findings revealed that 10.4% of adolescents in India experienced GBV, with females being more vulnerable section of population (odds ratio = 5.7).
The study revealed that adolescents belonging to scheduled caste/tribal areas, those whose mothers were literate, those who had a boyfriend/girlfriend, and those who justified wife beating were significant predictors of GBV. This highlighted that the adolescents had higher rates of normalization of GBV during the socialization process. The report notes that GBV among tribal adolescents was more prevalent in workplaces or institutions than in their homes. This highlighted that external factors contribute significantly in re-inforcing GBV in minority population, specially those belonging to the socially oppressed sections.
What are the government’s efforts to combat GBV among adolescents in India
The Government of India has implemented several noteworthy laws and policies to combat gender-based violence among adolescent population of India. Notable measures include the POCSO Act (2012), which criminalizes child sexual abuse, and the Juvenile Justice Act (2015), which protects vulnerable children. The RTE Act (2009) and NEP 2020 promote safe, inclusive, and gender-sensitive education. Campaigns like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, and support services like Sakhi centres and Childline 1098, offer awareness, aid, and legal help.
Despite these multifaceted efforts, challenges like poor implementation and entrenched gender norms remain. The policies and Laws fight the social evil of GBV on a political front, however, GBV is a social issue and will prevail in the society until it all the dimensions contributing to the same are addressed and uprooted by the society from our everyday lifestyle.
About the contributor: Nandini Sharma is a fellow at EGBVF Ending Gender-based Violence Fellowship at IMPRI and student pursuing Master’s in Applied Sociology at the Department of Sociology, University of Rajasthan.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
Read more at IMPRI:
India-China at 75: Elephant-dragon tango and a history of complex relationship
Yunus Charts Bold Pivot: Bangladesh Eyes China Ties, Risks India Strain
Acknowledgment: This article was posted by Bhaktiba Jadeja, visiting researcher and assistant editor at IMPRI.
