Factors Persuading Acid Attacks, a Modern Revenge Strategy against Women : A Study in West Bengal, India

Abstract

Today’s world is witnessing an alarming rate of incidences of acid violence, especially against women. The situation in India is too much inexpressible. In most of the reported cases of acid attacks in India, the women become the sufferer for spurning suitors, refuse marriage proposals or denying dowry, and so on. The present study aims to recognize the underlying factors and evaluate perception variations among the respondents regarding determinants of acid violence. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) has been done to determine the most responsible factors. T-test and/or one way ANOVA have been conducted to justify the assumed hypothesis. The results of this study reveal that rejection of marriage and love proposals, easy availability of acid in the open market, marital disputes, domestic violence and dowry demand, and low educational level are the main reasons behind such inhuman nuisance. The results of t-test and ANOVA signifies (<0.05) gender, age, and occupation wise perceptions variations for factor 1 and 3. But more or less all respondents agree with the fact that easy availability of acid in the open market (sig.>0.05) is the main factor of acid violence in West Bengal. This study might draw the government’s attention to such kinds of merciless offense in West Bengal, strengthen laws and policies so that gender equity in society could be formed and an acid-attack free society could be developed.