Prof. Manju lata
Professor
Department of Sociology
R.G. (P.G.) College
Meerut, Uttar Pradesh (India)
Abstract
This paper investigates how parenting styles contribute to the normalization of eve-teasing (street sexual harassment), focusing on the critical yet understudied role of family dynamics. While legal and societal factors are widely examined, this study argues that parental communication gaps regarding sexuality, consent, and gender respect fundamentally shape adolescents’ perceptions of harassment behaviours. The research employs qualitative analysis of secondary data from WHO, UNICEF, and peer-reviewed studies to examine correlations between parenting approaches and eve-teasing prevalence. Three key areas are explored: (1) parental avoidance of sexual health discussions, (2) gender stereotype reinforcement through controlling parenting styles, and (3) consequences of adolescents relying on media/peers for misinformation. Key findings reveal that restrictive parenting correlates with: (1) widespread misinformation about healthy relationships, (2) entrenched toxic masculinity and victim-blaming attitudes, and (3) empathy deficits that enable harassing behaviours. Conversely, families maintaining open dialogues demonstrate measurable reductions in adolescents’ harassment tendencies. The study highlights how media/pornography fills educational voids left by parental silence, often normalizing objectification. The implications call for multi-level interventions: (1) parent education programs to overcome cultural taboos, (2) school-based gender equality initiatives, and (3) policy frameworks incorporating family-centred prevention. Evidence from successful programs like Kenya’s father-son dialogues (30% harassment reduction) proves culturally- adapted approaches can break cycles of silence. The study concludes that transforming parental communication is essential for fostering cultures of accountability and eradicating eve-teasing.
Keywords: Eve-Teasing, Parenting Styles, Sexual Harassment Prevention, Gender Socialization, Consent Education.
