One reason why street harassment is so pervasive is because street harassers rarely face consequences for their actions. But lately, more and more harassers ARE facing consequences, sometimes from the women they target and sometimes from the police.
1 – In Kuwait, after nine men sexually harassed young women at a shopping mall, the police shaved their heads and made them sign a pledge of good conduct in public.
2 – After a soldier groped her, a store clerk in India threw rocks at him on the street, cheered on by passers-by.
3 – When a man groped her on the subway in Boston, a woman took his photo and reported him to the police. He was charged with indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14.
4 – A street harasser in Bellingham, Washington, approached two women on a street, making offensive slurs. After one of them said they didn’t want to talk to him, he caused $600 worth of damage to their car. One of the women tackled the man and held him down until a bouncer from a nearby bar came to help. The harasser was was arrested and taken to jail for investigation of malicious harassment, which is a hate crime.
5 – After groping a woman on the street in Romania, a street harasser was chased away by the woman.
YES!
Read 16 other memorable responses to street harassment from this year.
Hopefully each of these harassers will be deterred from harassing again because of the consequences they faced. There’s less incentive for them if they know they could have their head shaved or be chased or hit or jailed.
What kinds of consequences do you want to see street harassers face?
beckie says
What great stories.