By Farzana Batool
Silence protects the wrongdoer,But speaking up protects the future.The mindset behind these crimes is not just the criminal’s fault it also comes from the way our society reacts. I am talking about how, when something wrong happens to a girl, we often choose silence. We try to process it alone, and we tell ourselves that moving on is strength. But sometimes, this silence gives the wrong message to the offender. Whether it’s a small wrong act or a big one, it should be spoken about.
We don’t live in the same world as years ago, where even an unwanted gaze could make a woman uncomfortable and people knew it was wrong. Today, with unlimited and unfiltered access to the internet, many young minds are filled with explicit and degrading content. This constant exposure slowly changes the way they think, making disrespect seem normal.
When a victim stays silent in smaller incidents, the wrongdoer often thinks she has accepted it. This gives them the courage to repeat it, and in time, they may commit bigger crimes.
Society also plays a big role. Instead of supporting victims, many people judge them; questioning their clothes, choices, or behaviour. This is wrong and harmful. I believe that most women, maybe 90% have faced harassment such as stalking, touching, or abusive words. We have normalised these acts so much that many women ignore them. But silence in such cases only adds fuel to the problem.
Values are disappearing fast. In this world full of wrong influences, the only way to protect what is good is to speak up. God gave us a voice for a reason if we do not use it when it matters, we are letting the wrong win.
Framework For Better Understanding:
[Freudian structural model of mind]
Freud’s Idea of Id, Ego, and Superego in These Crimes
Sigmund Freud explained human behaviour through three parts of the mind: the Id, the Ego, and the Superego. These exist in everyone, but in criminals, the balance is badly broken.
1. The Id – The raw desire
The Id is the part of the mind that wants pleasure right away, without thinking about right or wrong. In sexual crimes, the Id takes control when the person gives in to lust and aggression. Constant exposure to sexual and violent content online can make the Id stronger and harder to control.
The majority of the problem arises due to the constant feeding of unfiltered contents to the Id.
2. The Ego – The excuse maker
The Ego is meant to balance desire with reality. But in many offenders, the Ego helps the Id instead of stopping it. It makes excuses:
“She didn’t resist,” “It’s harmless,” “No one will find out.”
This twisted thinking allows the crime to happen and the offender believe he can keep hiding the act and this encouragement comes from the victims behaviour if he/she chooses silence due to shame or societal pressure, either way the offender gets the benefit.
3. The Superego – The lost conscience
The Superego is the moral voice inside us. It makes us feel guilt and empathy when we think of doing something wrong. In these criminals, the Superego is weak or ignored. A society that blames victims or laughs off harassment makes this inner voice even weaker. So a society plays a vital role in shaping behaviour.
Example Of A Common Case ;
A girl is touched, abused, or stared at inappropriately by a man. She feels shocked, scared, and confused. Instead of speaking up, she stays silent, maybe because she fears that no one will believe her, or she worries about blame and shame. In this situation the offenders psych evaluation;
Id (pleasure-seeking side): The offender’s id pushes him to satisfy his selfish sexual urges without caring about rules or morality. In his mind, her silence might be seen as “agreement” or “permission,” even though it’s not.
Ego (reality-check side): His ego may notice the risk, thinking, “I could get caught or punished” but if her silence continues, the ego might wrongly conclude it’s “safe” to repeat or escalate the behavior.
Superego (moral side): If his superego is weak or underdeveloped, he won’t feel guilt or empathy. If it’s absent entirely, he justifies his actions.
This is why we must react to even small wrong acts. If left unchecked, they can grow into serious crimes. And this is how in such cases silence doesn’t protect, it can give the offender’s idmore power. The absence of confrontation or social punishment allows his unhealthy desires to keep driving his behavior.
Conclusion: Break The Silence
Sexual violence is not just an attack on a person, it shows the sickness in our society and in some minds. If we want a safe and progressive environment, we must speak up at the right time. Even small wrongs must be addressed, because silence can give birth to bigger crimes.
A healthy society needs a balance between desire, reality, and morality between the Id, Ego, and Superego. That balance can only exist if we stop normalising harassment, support victims, and make sure wrongdoers face consequences.
I want to walk free (by farzana)
Yet the world tells me
I must walk not with my mother,
Not with my sister,
But with my brother
As if his shadow is my only shield.
I want to speak the truth
About the society I see,
But when men stand before me,
Their gaze blurs my vision
And my words fall back into my throat.
I want to sit in the library like the boys,
Reading until the clock forgets the hour,
Until the sun and moon exchange places
But the society shouts,
“Days are for girls
For boys, both day and night.”
I feel the same, I want to shout too,
To break the walls that block my voice,
To let the world hear me,
Not in soft whispers,
But loud like thunder.
For that, a change in thought is needed,
And a change in society too,
A change deep in the human mind,
A change that begins with me and you.
Let us not remain silent, speak up and break the taboos that surround these crimes. Raise your voice for safety, for justice, and for a future where we, as a society, take responsibility. Do not sit in shame; take action, however small, to stand against injustice.
Author is From Goma Kargil You can Send your Views and comments at farzanabatool098@gmail.com
