Street harassment is a serious thing. It happens every day to women and shockingly, even men. According to “Stop Street Harassment,”65% of all women have experienced this horrible behavior. Among all women, 23% had been sexually touched, 20% had been followed, and 9% had been forced to do something sexual. Harassment of women is a common social issue. It happens when walking down the street or simply taking public transportation. In this video, we get to hear several women telling about their encounters with harassment while out in public and even one woman who strapped a camera to herself to show her experience.
It’s the usual catcalling, “Hey baby” or “you’re beautiful”. But what happens when it gets taken too far? Some men even go as far as saying sexually explicit things. There is no one “right” way to deal with harassers. Every situation and person is different, and often you only have a second or two to access your safety and decide what to do.
Here’s some quick tips on dealing with the harasser:
1. If you feel safe enough to do so, respond firmly and calmly. Do not insult or name call.
2. Report to the police.
3. Report with your phone. There all mobile apps that you can safely download just for this purpose.
4. Step in. If you see someone getting harassed and it is safe, you can step in and help the person.
Individual action can only go so far to stop street harassment. If you have the time, energy, and network connections, consider organizing or participating in community action to end street harassment.
Have you ever been a victim of street harassment? Do you think women are “asking for it” because of the way they dress?
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Street Harassment: Sidewalk Sleazebags and Metro Molesters
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