Knowledge, attitude, and perception towards mob lynching among the general population of India: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Abstract Background: Mob lynching is violence by a crowd that results in the killing or maiming of a person or persons charged with or suspected of a crime. Lynching is an extrajudicial punishment to the accused or suspected person by a crowd or informal group without having any legal authority. In India, lynching and mob violence generally replicate internal tensions between several racial communities. Objectives: The objectives of the study are to check the attitude and gender differences and to see the predictors of mob lynching among the general population of India The study assessed the knowledge, attitude and perception of mob lynching among the general population of India. Materials and Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey was carried out among 150 adults from March 3, 2022, to September 28, 2022. The survey was conducted online using a Google Form distributed through social media platform (E-mails, Whatsapp, or Messenger application). Participants aged 18 years and above, both male and female, consenting to participate in the study and able to understand English were included in the study. The survey took approximately 5–10 min to complete. Results: The findings of this study shows that gender, age, family income, religion, ethnicity, and education as variables that contributed significantly to the prediction of mob lynching among the general population of India [F (6,143) = 4.766; P < 0.01] at 16.7% (R 2 = 0.167) variance. The remaining 83.3% was attributed to the variables not included in the study. Conclusion: The study also indicates that most of the cases of mob lynching are committed due to fake news, rumors, and hate speeches that are circulated on social media.