Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Archives for March 2011

13-year-old fears assault

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I’m a fairly tall girl, I recently had my 13th birthday. In the past two years, I’ve been looked at, stared at, hit on, whistled at and had cars/trucks honk at me. It’s slowly becoming more frequent and I’m sometimes scared what else is going to happen.

I’m only just a teenager, I’m in year 8. I’m scared one day a man is going to grab me and I’ll be too young and weak to fight him off, then all I could do is scream… I wish there was a better way to get this across to all the men in the world…

– Anonymous

Location: Central London

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Standing up for yourself makes you a police officer and a slag!

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I was at a cash machine on a quiet street in Newcastle city centre. I sensed someone was behind me, stood too close. I turned around and this guy started laying on thick…”You’re gorgeous…let me take you for a drink…come on, I’ll show you a good time.”

I told him to back off and then, feeling a little brave, said to him, “Do you think it’s a good idea to approach lone females, especially at cash points, and harass them? I’m not saying I’m intimidated (I was!) but another female could be??”

He then told me to f* off, got right in my face and said “You must be a f**kin’ police officer or something to speak in the way that you do – slag.”

Feeling brave again, I told him to get lost and walked away, all the while he was shouting and swearing at me.

I go through this MANY times, but this has been one of the worst incidents! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the furtive glances, a smile, someone trying to catch my eye. I don’t mind a nice compliment or a business card/phone number sneaked my way……but some people don’t realise how aggressive they are and how intimidating they can be. I have had numerous experiences of men approaching me and then getting nasty and aggressive when I turn them away. I hate it.

– SD

Location: Northumberland Street, Newcastle, United Kingdom

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“I have been flashed, groped, had disgusting verbal abuse shouted at me.”

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I have been flashed, groped, had disgusting verbal abuse shouted at me. Whistling and kissing noises are not as threatening as someone actually in your personal space or threatening you with sexual violence.

Having read this blog these menaces are more of a problem than I thought. I have often been tempted to shout back or even throw a straight right but I am too scared and instead ignore the culprits rather than risk even more abuse.

– Anonymous

Location: Lewisham Way, Deptford Broadway, Norwood Junction, Various SE London

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When going to the drug store means preparing for battle

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I attended college in Chicago, IL. Being harassed on the street was a daily occurrence. It got to the point where I avoided going outside, unless it was absolutely necessary.

I remember one day I had just really had it with all the harassment, but I really needed to go to the drug store, so I made a quick trip. I put together a game plan before departure.

I dressed in super baggy clothing, with a hood, and put on sun glasses, so that maybe I would be left alone. I walked with my head down across the street to the drug store. I quickly grabbed what I needed and headed back towards home. I thought I was home free when a man tried to talk to me on the street. I decided just to ignore him and keep walking. He got upset and started yelling at me. He got his friend and told him that I thought I was better than everybody. And they both continued to yell at me as I hurried away– all because I didn’t accept his advances.

– Harper S.

Location: Chicago, Illinois

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“No woman should be blamed for encouraging men to act in this way”

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I am a 22 year old British woman and I have never really had many bad experiences in the UK – maybe the odd wolf whistle or comment but I have rarely felt intimidated.

When I moved to the south of France last year, I experienced street harassment on a regular basis. A car drove along, stopped and reversed, which was very intimidating. My friend (also British) and I were walking along the street and some men heard us speaking English and started to harass us. Then they grabbed us and as we walked faster and ignored them, they threw a glass bottle at us. We had glass thrown at us in the middle of the day once before. Luckily, it did not land too near us.

Men have gotten in my face and shouted at me. It would be expected to be groped in a night club.

Never before have I ever felt so intimidated.

When I asked people why men felt it appropriate to do this, I would hear the response that it’s cultural. We, the Brits, encourage it somehow by wearing provocative clothing. I did not wear provocative clothing for this very reason, yet it still happened and besides, that way of thinking is frankly absurd in today’s society.

Women everywhere should feel safe to walk down the street without that feeling of intimidation and the fear as you get hotter and your heart beats faster. No woman should be blamed for encouraging men to act in this way.

– Anonymous

Location: Aix/Marseille, France

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