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Book Review: Why Men Rape: An Indian Undercover Investigation
Article in Journal of International Women's Studies · September 2024
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Journal of International Women's Studies
Volume 26 Issue 5 Article 22
September 2024
Book Review: Why Men Rape: An Indian Undercover Investigation
Gorky Sinha
Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India
Pushpinder Singh
Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India
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Sinha, Gorky and Singh, Pushpinder (2024) "Book Review: Why Men Rape: An Indian Undercover
Investigation," Journal of International Women's Studies: Vol. 26: Iss. 5, Article 22.
Available at: [Link]
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Women’s Studies.
Sinha and Singh: Book Review: Why Men Rape: An Indian Undercover Investigation
Book Review: Why Men Rape: An Indian Undercover Investigation1
Reviewed by Gorky Sinha2 and Pushpinder Singh3
Women have been the victims of gender violence and rape for decades in India.
Newspapers and news channels report on gender violence every single day. Movements like
#MeToo and #TimesUp have encouraged women to speak about the cruelty and assaults from
men that they have faced. These Indian cases of gender violence and rape have produced an
environment of sexual terrorism, which is employed by hegemonic forces to control and
maintain authority over women (Sheffield, 1987). Over the years, many researchers, writers,
and journalists have studied and written about different aspects of sexual terrorism. They have
developed a survivor/victim-based approach to understanding rape and gender violence,
creating an understanding of victim-blaming and shaming culture (Dubey, 2018; Kennedy &
Prock, 2016).
In contrast to survivor-focused scholarship, the book Why Men Rape examines the
psychology behind rape and offers a thought-provoking, investigative account of undetected
rapists (the term given to men who commit rape but are not reported or not convicted for their
crimes). The book explores how the behavior of undetected rapists has been shaped by their
history, economic status, environment, upbringing, education, psychological state, and attitude
towards sex, gender, and women. The book does not claim that rape and gender violence are
only committed by men or that only Indian men commit rape. It offers a perpetrator-focused
approach to understand the mindset behind rape in India.
The author, Tara Kaushal, is a writer and media consultant based in Mumbai, India. A
winner of multiple national and international awards, she is known for her intelligent
journalism and social commentary and has been one of the voices at the forefront of discourse
on gender violence discourse for years in India. Being a victim of child sexual abuse at a very
young age, and narrowly avoiding abduction by a gang of men at age seventeen, she was
personally motivated to begin this full-time project in 2017. She interviewed nine men who are
rapists from different parts of the country and observed them, their families, and their friends.
Why Men Rape is the author’s first book, which provides a detailed analysis of the perpetrators’
environment and the mindset behind rape. Many perpetrators of violence were themselves
victims of violence and sexual abuse in their early years. This often leads to an association
between power and violence, resulting in poor moral internalization. Kaushal has dissected the
mindset behind rape into layers of misogyny, dehumanization, objectification of women, social
class, power, caste, hegemonic masculinity, and privilege, attributing patriarchy to be the root
cause behind all other factors. She explores the pervasive misconception among some men that
if sex is occurring, it cannot be classified as rape, revealing how deeply ingrained beliefs about
consent and entitlement contribute to the normalization of sexual violence (pp. 242-246). She
is also critical of the hypersexualized role of media, Bollywood, pornography, police, and
politicians in propagating the culture of rape (pp. 230-232, 247-248).
The book is organized into an introduction, which sets the stage for investigation,
followed by three main sections with 11 chapters focusing on individual case studies, expert
opinions, and analysis of cultural, societal, and psychological factors influencing sexual
1
Kaushal, T. (2020). Why men rape: An Indian undercover investigation. HarperCollins India.
2
Gorky Sinha is a Research Scholar in the Department of Physical Education, Central University of Punjab,
Bathinda, India. Email: sinhagorky@[Link]
3
Pushpinder Singh is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Physical Education, Central University of
Punjab, Bathinda, India. Email: pushpinderphyedu@[Link]
Published by Virtual Commons - Bridgewater State University, 2024 1
Journal of International Women's Studies, Vol. 26, Iss. 5 [2024], Art. 22
violence. The concluding part discusses the factors influencing rape crimes and preventive
measures and solutions.
In chapter 1 titled “Our Savior Is Born,” Tara Kaushal highlights the disparity in
treatment between men and women from birth, emphasizing the systematic reinforcement of
gender inequalities. Her discussion on the behavior of men, such as exposing private parts
while openly urinating in public spaces and a disregard for the personal space of others, sheds
light on everyday manifestations of male privilege. Through the poignant exploration of how
men are socialized to repress emotions, with love and care for their wives viewed as weakness,
Kaushal provides a nuanced understanding of how these norms shape men’s behaviors.
Kaushal also discusses the experience of domestic violence at an early age and the long-term
impact of these ingrained attitudes. The inclusion of stories of two undetected rapists adds a
powerful dimension, underscoring the dangerous consequences of these ingrained privileges
and attitudes. However, the chapter could benefit from a more structured analysis of the long-
term impacts of these privileges, supported by empirical data and a deeper examination of
domestic violence which is only briefly touched upon.
In chapter 2 titled “It Takes a Village,” Kaushal delves into the socialization of
masculinity in the home environment and the reinforcement of these norms through boys’
gangs, highlighting how boys are pressured to perform masculinity to prove they are not girls.
Kaushal emphasizes the absence of sex education, as boys often rely upon misinformation from
peers, locker room talks, pornography, and sex workers, which perpetuates misogynistic views
and unhealthy attitudes towards sex. The stories of undetected rapists included in the chapter,
who view women as mere objects for sexual gratification and see sexual violence as a measure
of male prowess, underscore the dangerous consequences of these ingrained beliefs. While the
chapter is thorough and thought-provoking, more emphasis on the effects of inadequate sex
education and the impact of early socialization on long-term behavior would have brought more
depth to the chapter.
In chapter 3 titled “Loving Me and Loving You,” Kaushal provides a compelling
analysis of cinema’s influence in shaping the societal perception of gender roles and behaviors.
Kaushal effectively critiques how Bollywood creates a distorted image of the hero who
disregards consent and pursues women through coercion and sexual harassment (“Eve-
teasing”), and she concludes that the industry perpetuates harmful stereotypes that equate
possessiveness and jealousy with romance. The chapter’s strength lies in thoroughly examining
how cinema sets problematic behavioral prototypes for both men and women, muddying the
understanding of consent. Kaushal further discusses the impact of prostitution and pornography
on sexual violence, shedding light on how these practices lead to desensitization towards
women, perpetuate rape myths, and propagate male dominance in intimate relationships. The
detailed analysis helps in understanding the negative consequences of learning about sex
through these channels, which amplify harmful attitudes and behaviors.
In chapter 4 titled “Of Human Rights and Wrongs,” Kaushal delves into a disturbing
exploration of the belief system of rapists, who often dehumanize their victims and use rape as
a tool for punishment or revenge. She also explores how perpetrators frequently deny the
possibility of rape, viewing sex as a necessity for men. Kaushal provides an insightful analysis
of marital rape, where women are subjugated to fulfill men’s desires, driven by power
imbalances rooted in patriarchal norms. This chapter also addresses the perception of women
as possessions, first of their fathers and then of their husbands, and critiques the notions that
marital sex cannot be rape and that women must be perpetually available. Furthermore, Kaushal
discusses the controversial issue of false accusations used for revenge and cases involving false
promises of marriage, juxtaposed with the reality of widespread unreported rapes due to victim-
blaming and survivor-shaming.
[Link] 2
Sinha and Singh: Book Review: Why Men Rape: An Indian Undercover Investigation
In chapter 5 titled “A Dog Eat Dog (and Bitches) World,” Kaushal explores the shift in
power dynamics between men and women in a growing economy where women’s
independence and empowerment are on the rise. She examines how this empowerment has
increased the competition between men and women in employment and relationships, fuelling
frustration and anger among men. Kaushal highlights how modern culture and economic
changes have made women more autonomous in choosing sex partners, thus challenging the
traditional dominance of men. Kaushal also addresses the widespread understanding of rape,
pointing out that less brutal forms of sexual violence are often dismissed. The anger of men, as
described by an undetected rapist who feels that gender power dynamics have reversed unfairly
in favor of women, is a stark illustration of the backlash against female empowerment.
Kaushal aims to eradicate the myth that rape is solely a women’s issue and to promote
the urgent need to involve men in the discussion of rape. By doing so, she opens up an
opportunity for constructive dialogue and systematic change. She adroitly investigates the role
of masculinity, the psychology of power, and the societal pressure that produces this deeply
ingrained problem, and she proposes a re-evaluation of how Indian society raises and educates
boys.
One of the strengths of the book is its methodology. The author went undercover, not
giving any hint about her project to the nine undetected rapists. She portrayed an image of an
Non-Resident Indian from Australia doing research for a movie about the lives of ordinary
village/political/rogue men. Armed with pepper spray and sharing her live location on
WhatsApp with her emergency contacts, she asked 250 questions and did field observations of
the men, their family, and their friends in their home environments. She employed a
combination of observational and interview-based methods of collecting data. By adopting
such a methodology, she tried to minimize interviewees’ false confessions and motives to
sound socially acceptable in their answers. This approach helped the author to get unique
insights into their behavior and perspectives.
The narration of the book brings out the details by explaining the adventure and fear
that the author faced during the interactions with the rapists. Alongside the stories and
confessions of rapists, the book gives insights on rape from world-famous experts, writers, and
survivors of rape and sexual abuse, which encourages readers to examine the issue from
different perspectives, developing the understanding that there is no single reason that can fully
explain the cause of rape.
Generally, Why Men Rape contributes significantly to an understanding of the complex
factors behind rape and is a vital addition to the discourse on sexual violence. Kaushal’s writing
style is very engaging; without over-dramatizing, she maintains the gravity of the subject. She
directly confronts the uncomfortable truths about our culture and societal norms leading to such
heinous crimes. The book encourages open conversations and introspection, paving the way
for a more inclusive and safer society. Given its comprehensive analysis and documentation of
stories of undetected rapists, the book—written for general readers and academic researchers—
might be of particular interest to policymakers, human rights advocates, and NGOs dealing
with rape. The book also provides insight for academics and scholars interested in
comprehending sexual violence from the perspectives of Law, Sociology, Psychology, Social
Work, and Gender and Women’s Studies.
Acknowledgements
The authors have used Grammarly for the purposes of grammar correction, but no other
AI tools were used in the writing of this review.
Published by Virtual Commons - Bridgewater State University, 2024 3
Journal of International Women's Studies, Vol. 26, Iss. 5 [2024], Art. 22
References
Dubey, P. (2018). No nation for women: Reportage on rape from India. Simon & Schuster
India.
Kennedy, A. C., & Prock, K. A. (2016). “I still feel like I am not normal”: A review of the role
of stigma and stigmatization among female survivors of child sexual abuse, sexual
assault, and intimate partner violence. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 19(5), 512–527.
[Link]
Sheffield, C. J. (1987). Sexual terrorism: The social control of women. In B. B. Hess & M. M.
Ferree (Eds.), Analyzing gender: A handbook of social science research (pp. 171–189).
Sage Publications. [Link]
[Link] 4
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