Acid Attack: Fight the Burn with Your Fire | Psychology Behind it | First Aid

According to India Today’s Data Intelligence Unit (DIU), there were 1,483 acid attacks in the country between 2014 and 2018. According to data published by the National Crime Records Bureau, this is the case.

What kind of violence do you think an acid attack is?
No, it’s not physical abuse. It is, in fact, sexual assault.
If we look closely, we can see why it was classified as such. If we look at the psychology behind these attacks, we can figure out why.

Most acid attack perpetrators said that the reasons behind their violence have been rejection – rejection of a romantic proposal, denial of marriage, or denial of sex. In general, these attacks are rising due to some men’s feeling of entitlement over the victim’s bodies.

Psychology Behind the Assaults

Unlike most sexual violence, acid attack is carried out in cold blood. There is no reason like the perpetrators were drunk or drugged. The violent mind-set arises due to frustration and rejection, and a sense of entitlement that has been spread as a part of the culture. A desire to disfigure the woman comes into action when ownership over the body is denied.

Impact on the Victim

We are all aware of the physical effects of an acid attack. Let us now consider the psychological scar it leaves on the victim. First comes the societal attack.

• The girl talked to too many boys.
• The girl had premarital sex. Now she’s backing out… so the man is right.
• Who will marry her now? I feel so much sympathy.
• If girls are given too much freedom that’s harmful to them.
• She might be doing this for attention and money.
• And others…

Assume, that hearing to these, she locked herself in a room. Then she has to deal with her own physical and emotional pains.

• Am I worthy enough for anything?
• Does my life end here?
• Are my parents going to ground me?
• Is it all my fault?
• Should I have said yes to that person?
• It pains me so much but all my family is worried about my marriage.
• Will anybody ever call me pretty?
• I have to go out and people will look at me with eyes full of sympathy as if I am less of a human now.
• Will the assaulter ever get proven so?
• And others…

The victim is clearly affected by the trauma and rumination of the incident. The truth is that those who have never experienced it will never understand it. This is merely an attempt to put a small portion of it into words.

The people who commit these crimes are known to the victims.

Violence is not a way to show love. Violence is not care. Violence is not support.

This is a heinous crime. Education on not objectifying women or seeing them as possession should be given from a tender age. We have to believe and implement that a human being cannot be anyone’s property.

Saying NO must be normalised – whether to family, friends, a partner, or anyone else.

Here are some steps to take when someone is attacked with acid:

First Aid for Acid Attack

1. You should swiftly and very carefully remove contaminated clothing or jewellery.
2. Then, you should rinse the affected skin under copious amounts of running water.
3. should give priority to flushing the eyes and face (and the airway if affected) first.
4. A bottle of water is insufficient. You will need a lot of water, ideally from a tap, hosepipe, or shower. Use tap or bottled water.

Paramedics should then transport the victims to the hospital as soon as possible.

Rehabilitation of Acid attack survivors

1. Chhanv Foundation
   Mobile: 9717900302​ | 9958066951
   Website: https://www.chhanv.org/
2. Meer Foundation
   Mobile: 2266699400
   Website: https://www.meerfoundation.org/
3. Acid Survivors Saahas Foundation
   Mobile: 098190 40166
   Website: https://www.assfindia.org/

Laws related to acid attack (Know Your Rights)

Section 326B
Whoever throws or attempts to throw acid on any person, to cause permanent or partial damage, deformity, burns or disfigurement or disability or grievous hurt to that person, shall be punished with imprisonment for not be less than five years extendable to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Section 357B
State Government should pay compensation to the victim under section 357A shall be in addition to the payment of fine under section 326A of IPC.

Section 357C
Immediate medical treatment should be provided, free of cost to the victims, of any offence under section 326A of IPC, and shall immediately inform the police of such incident.

If you or anyone known to you is assaulted in this way please report to the nearest police station and go through the legal helps you are entitled to.

Steps to prevent such attacks

Watch out for the people who:

• Are stalking you
• Have been behaving aggressively when you turned down their proposal
• Do not accept no for an answer
• Reach out for help if you spot such people. If possible, report it to the nearest police station.

A Message for Survivors

If the following question keeps coming to your mind: “Am I ugly?“
Here is it. No, you are not, your perpetrator is.
You are beautiful, maybe not to some people. But to some people no one is pretty until they match up in the inner ugliness. We know it is not easy. It is not easy to accept ourselves when we look different from how we used to look. Most compliments seem like consolation.
You have to tell yourself you are not a different person. You are the same fighter, inside and out. Go out there and achieve your dreams!

He changed my face, Not my heart. He threw acid on my face, not on my dreams.

Laxmi Agarwal