In Focus by The Hindu Why is violence the male response to a woman's rejection in India?
Feb 2, 2026
Prasanna Gettu, co-founder of PCVC who works with survivors of gender-based violence, discusses why rejection often triggers violent entitlement. He explores how upbringing and film culture normalize stalking. He explains escalation from persistence to punishment, barriers in policing and courts, and calls for teaching consent and emotional resilience from childhood.
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Entitlement Not Passion
- Many rejection-based attacks are not 'crimes of passion' but crimes of entitlement.
- Perpetrators see a woman's agency as something owed and use violence to restore lost power.
From Friendly To Threatening
- A caller reported a colleague who wouldn't stop messaging after she clearly said no and said, 'why are you acting so expensive'.
- The pattern often shifts from friendliness to threats when the woman asserts boundaries.
No Isn't In Their Upbringing
- Many perpetrators never heard 'no' growing up and view rejection as humiliation.
- This socialization ties masculinity to being chosen and in control, making refusal feel like identity threat.