By: Erin McKelle, SSH Correspondent
Once when I was at the mall with a friend, a random guy approached her and slapped her butt. She was a little shocked and so I said (loudly), “What’s your problem!? That’s so disgusting!” and he immediately walked away in the other direction.
Street harassment happens every single day in every single city. It’s one of the most common sources of personal violation that anyone (but women especially) have to deal with. A phone survey conducted by Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates concluded that “almost all women had experienced street harassment.” Because of this then, it is important that we stop harassment when we see it happening and let the harasser know that what they are doing is not okay. Taking action and empowering women in the street by confronting street harassment head on is essential to ending it.
This also means taking action and standing up for yourself as well. If you find yourself in a situation in which you are being harassed, take action and let the harasser know that their harassment will not be tolerated. A great example of this can be seen in the viral YouTube videotaped by a bystander when a woman being harassed on the NYC subway in 2010 humiliated her harasser. She refused to let it slide off her back and caused street harassment to be brought into the light by the media, as the story was featured by many popular news websites. Her courage and strength probably caused that man to never “take out his penis” ever again.
Now, sometimes taking action is easier said than done. We don’t intervene (especially if the situation isn’t happening to us and we are a bystander) because we don’t know how or we don’t think it’s our place. That is why having a plan of action already thought out is the key to taking that action. Don’t let the situation happen and then kick yourself for not doing anything. Think about what you will do to take action NOW instead of later. Then, you will be prepared and ready when it does happen.
I’ve composed a list of five actions that you can take to end street harassment as you see it happening to you or someone else. This list is by no means complete and is meant to get your mind churning to think about what else you could do or what actions feel most comfortable to you. Feel free to add in, throw out or modify these actions as needed!
And always remember to put your safety first! If you don’t feel safe taking action then by all means, don’t (but also note, fear of making a spectacle doesn’t count as putting your safety first. That’s just part of the equation).
1. Intervene: Tell the harasser exactly what they are doing is harassment. Try to separate the harasser from the victim (and try to separate yourself from said harasser if that person is you) and make sure everyone around knows exactly what is going on. Also, perhaps try to get police or law enforcement involved, if possible. Don’t use violence, but make your point in a firm, direct but respectful way.
2. Get the Victim Out of the Situation: If you feel less comfortable speaking outright, then try to engage the victim in some way that will distract from the harasser. Ask them for a pen, directions or pretend to even be with them (example: “hey, this is our stop.” And walk off the subway with them). Get said person out of the situation as quickly as possible. Then, ask them if they are okay, need help from the police or support in any way. Direct them to organizations like Stop Street Harassment and Hollaback! so they can share their story. Make sure they know there are outlets and options if they wish to take further action.
3. Take Picture/Video of the Harasser on your Cell Phone: This is one of the best ways to identify a harasser and document the incident, especially if you wish to take legal action or even create awareness! Especially if you are the one being harassed, this could be an option for you if you don’t feel safe speaking out (just pretend to be texting or making a call).
4. Draw Attention: If you don’t feel comfortable speaking to the actual harasser, you can still draw attention to the incident. Say something like, “Hey, do you see what is going on here? I am calling the police!” or something that will get people to notice. Make sure to express your anger and disgust with the situation. Or, if police are around, bring their attention to the scene. Make sure you act fast and empower fellow bystanders to act with you. There is power in numbers.
5. Distract: Try to draw the attention of the harasser away from their harassment. Even act oblivious; ask them an unrelated question or make some kind of statement such as, “Do you know where the nearest grocery store is?” or “Who makes your shoes? I’m looking to buy a birthday present for someone and I really like them.” Anything that will take their attention away from the situation. It may seem silly, but doing this can defuse the situation very quickly.
Make eye-contact with the harasser and engage them to where it would be uncomfortable for them to brush you off. Also, after you have distracted them, take the harassed person aside and make sure they are okay, ask if they need support, etc. Also, see if while you complete this step you can take picture or video as it happens, that way you can also have documented evidence.
Remember, you DO have the power to act! You can liberate those being harassed and give power back to them. You can be responsible for putting a stop to a situation that could cause great distress to a person’s life or well being. You can also make others more aware of street harassment that happens and empower them to take action! Create a chain reaction of empowerment by taking action!
Erin is an e-activist and blogger based in Ohio. You can find more of her work here and here.
