Ping-Pong tournament was chosen as a way to meet and greet with rape victims by RAVVEN, a women’s rights activist group. The main aim of the tournament was to encourage girls who have been victims of such heinous assault to trust society again and communicate in social settings. This led to the local community discovering much about these victims and finding ways to interact with them from a personal perspective.
History:
Historically speaking rape victims do not come out and speak up for themselves. Even victims of the violent crimes are disavowed by the society but no one ever inquires about the perpetrator. The society has no intention to punish the perpetrators and seek justice for the victims. This has led to a culture where rape victims are deeply mortified for self- confidence and after being hunted by the society; they are discouraged from becoming a part of the community again.
Aim:
The aim of these programs is to fight the stigma attached to these causes and allow women t come toa platform where they can express their views. These individuals will find their views expressed by other participants as well and will find a common ground to work in. This will also fight the stigma that wraps these issues and keeps society from understanding these victims better.
Communication:
The key to change in the psychology of the society is to bring these issues into mainstream attention. The lack of awareness and information in this regard has led to a serious fear and resentment in society. The idea of the Ping Pong tournament focuses on ensuring that these individuals find a reason and a way to come out of their own shell.
Common Symptoms:
The good way to help these victims is to understand their perspective. There are a few symptoms of these cases that individuals can identify without much trouble.
Intrusive Re-experiencing: When a victim has been through a traumatic event, they are scared of thinking about these memories. They do not just recall the said events; they relive them without much effort. As these experiences are traumatic, the victim becomes scared of their own thoughts.
Avoidance of Trauma-Related Stimuli: The victim becomes too focused on the experience and becomes acutely aware of voices, smells and other stimulants that remind them of the experience. This leads to them being scared of engaging with anything that may remind them of the event. They start avoiding the stimulants and this behavior can be easily spotted.
Hyperreactivity: these individuals become highly sensitive to the noises around them. They are hyper-aware of their environments and are easily startled by an unexpected or sudden change in the environment. Pinpong Tournaments are a great way to discuss all of these commonly occurring phenomena with a couple of trauma specialists. These individuals should not be shunned by society and they should be allowed to heal with available trauma specialists. These are specialized doctors who can help these women grow out of their tragedy and gain a normal life again.
The effort is admirable and should be copied by as many women empowerment groups as possible. Ping pong orchestra is a good album to check out if you are looking for motivation.