“I’ve been harassed daily since I was about 14”

I’m a 16 year old girl, and I’ve been harassed daily since I was about 14. I must have been harassed more than a few hundred times in my life at least. Generally the harassment I face can be categorised in a few categories:

-Non verbal: They usually just stare at me sensually, and do kissy motions with their mouths, whistle, or lick their lips. Winking is also real common. When I go in some neighbourhoods, basically, and this is not an exaggeration, all the men look at me sultrily, and/or catcall me.

-Verbal badmouthing/Insults: Either they talk shit ‘indirectly” like, “Oh ya, I’d pin that bitch on the wall, and f*ck her hard”, or talk with their friends about all the dirty things they’d do to me. Other times, it’s lone wolves, or groups of guys who scream stuff like “Sucky sucky bitch” or “Hey come over here you f*cking slut, and let me eat your pussy”.

-Verbal non explicit ‘insults’: Like “You’re so pretty, you shouldn’t be so sad. Smile for me”, “Damn, liking the view. Nice ass. Wanna see it up close”, “Hey there…”, “What’s up..”.

-Asking for sexual favours: I don’t get a lot of allowance, so I ask people on the street for money (not pandhandling). If I ask a guy, it’s not at all uncommon for him to ask me to give him a blowjob, f*ck him or kiss him for money. Sometimes, I just innocently ask for directions, and they ask me for a kiss. I’ve had a stranger before, force me to kiss him on the mouth, and let him feel what he wanted under threat of violence, in public.

-Stalking: I’ve had guys who asked me out, or tried going predator on me, follow me for hours after I refused. But mostly it’s just for a few minutes to get a good view.

-Asking me out, and forcing me to go somewhere isolated with them right after: Basically half of the time when I talk to a male stranger, they ask me out, or after I refuse, to just be friends. They all immediately invent bizarre excuses to get me somewhere of intimacy or give me alcohol. I’ve been nearly forced in a car before, and in other bad places. Got molested quite a lot. Nearly raped a few times too. The creepiest thing is, I’ve always told them, than I’m either 14 or 15. And they won’t even back down. Even if I’m not legal. They don’t care.

-Being patronised by a lot of men. A decent amount of men, I don’t know or not well, refer to me as “sweety, “honey”, “sexy”, “babe”. What the f*ck. I’m sick of this. Even though it’s been more than two years, It still affects me. I hate being harassed. Don’t care if he’s hot.

– Anonymous

Location: Paris, France