Patterns of Pain: Mapping Misogyny Through A Decadal Crime Trend Analysis in Metropolitan India

Abstract

Gender based violence continues to challenge urban safety in India. Metropolitan expansion mixed with patriarchal norms and uneven law enforcement has reshaped crime profiles against women from 2011 to 2021. Using a positivist quantitative approach, the study compiles secondary crime records from fifty-three metropolitan cities and applies graphical analysis and Pearson correlation to track patterns. The research aims to expose decadal trends, spatial disparities and systemic links among major crime categories to inform evidence-based policy. Rape rates rose in most cities with Kota and Jaipur showing the highest growth while Kolkata and Chennai remained nearly unchanged. Dowry deaths fluctuated modestly without clear regional clustering. Molestation and cruelty by husbands escalated sharply particularly in Vishakhapatnam Jodhpur and Delhi. Kidnapping and abduction displayed a marked upward trajectory across northern and central corridors. Correlation analysis identified a strong positive association between rape and molestation and moderate ties involving cruelty by husband and kidnapping whereas dowry deaths moved independently. These results highlight interconnected threats and context specific drivers within metropolitan environments. The study delivers the first city level decade long synthesis of gender related crime in urban India integrating spatial and temporal analytics across a nationwide metropolitan dataset.