Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

We face constant homophobic harassment

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I’m a gay teenager who is trying to have a happy relationship with my boyfriend, but every night I walk him home, we face constant harassment from teenagers from 11-18, asking personal questions and threats, including Homophobic bulling. All I want is to hold my partner’s hand, and walk down the street, with no weird looks, no threats and no harassment. I know now that this is impossible, because of our society today, little kids shouting out ‘gay’ and faggot, It makes me so angry, how children/teenagers think it is okay. I’m now so scared that I won’t even have a boyfriend, if the harassment doesn’t stop!!

Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?

Add more street lights, have people on watch, have someone/somewhere to talk too, like an LGBT community group in the area or a warning to parents on letting their children out so late, or even fine the teenagers/parents of harassment

– Harry E.

Location: Maidstone, Kent, Britain, Northumberlend road

Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for ideas.

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“I feel afraid and angry to leave my apartment”

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I live in an apartment complex and we are not allow to smoke in our apartment, so I go outside to the designated smoking area. While smoking, two men harassed and stalked me three times and would not leave me alone. I reported this to the landlord and the local police but was blown off, even though I had four witnesses that were willing to give their testimony.

Even after telling this second man NO many times, he would not leave me alone. He doesn’t even live here but apparently takes care of an older gentlemen that does and harasses me almost everyday. I feel afraid and angry to leave my apartment. I have told the landlord here but she will not believe me and even the police will not do anything even after I show them the witnesses and the log I have kept since these two incidents began.

Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?

I don’t know. Most the men here are living by themselves and hit on every single women here but when you turned them down they slander you, and have almost everyone here turned against you.

– Kathryn N

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for ideas.

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Announcing a New Project!

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Today is the first day of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence as well as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and this year’s theme is “Leave No One Behind.”

Building on this theme as well as the outpouring of #MeToo sexual abuse stories from women around the world (H/T to the hashtag creator Tarana Burke), the SSH board and I are excited to announce a new project. 

Exciting New Survey
We plan to partner again with national survey firm GfK (they worked with us in 2014) to conduct a nationally representative survey on sexual harassment and abuse in all the places it occurs, including public spaces, schools, campuses, workplaces, places of worship and private homes. We hope the survey will show just how all-encompassing sexual harassment and abuse can be nationwide, as well as illuminate other information, like the young age it begins. To date, there has not been a survey like this undertaken.

Because this national sample of 2,000 people ages 18+ will reflect the demographics of the country, the experiences of smaller demographics won’t be as well documented, including demographics of people who face high rates of abuse. Thus, we will also conduct three separate online surveys that target three main demographics: transgender people, persons with disabilities and youth (of course acknowledging that some people span two or all three categories).

How can you be involved? 
1) Donate, $10 or more. We need to raise $11,000 to cover the costs. The sooner we raise the funds, the sooner we can undertake this timely project.

2) Encourage your networks and friends to donate, particularly for #GivingTuesday in three days. Here is a sample message and graphic for social media.

If you were moved by the #MeToo stories, you can bring more facts to light about the extent of #sexualharassment by helping @stopstharassmnt fund a ground-breaking national survey. https://www.razoo.com/team/Shanationlsurvey #EndSH

3) If you would like to participate in any of the three online surveys (the main survey is randomized and conducted by GfK), help solicit responses for them or give input on the questions, please be in touch.

Thanks!

Holly
SSH Founder

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“I felt awful for not doing more”

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I’m a guy. I was walking in the Wynwood area in Miami with two women friends of mine and as we turned into a corner, a group of 10 guys were surrounding the sidewalk harassing every women that went by with crude sexual comments and by invading their personal space.

In my head, I wanted to stay close to both my friends so as to put some space in between them and those guys as we went through, but we were surrounded. As they were harassing the group in front of us, one of my friends just ran pass through while the other stood still for a second. I don’t remember if I told her to keep moving, if I pushed her to move fast so we don’t get separated or if I just stood there next to her; I think I did the later but honestly, all those three reactions make me feel embarrassed, like I either pushed her to do something she didn’t want to do or simply failed to help her when she needed it. After a couple of seconds, she started moving forward and I moved right behind her so no one would come near from the back.

My friends got spared from their personal space being invaded, but the crude comments still made it through. I felt, and still feel, awful for not doing more, can’t imagine how they felt like. I keep thinking what else should’ve I done: should’ve I stood up to them? Told them to quit it? Turned around with my friends to the other side of the sidewalk? At the very minimum I should’ve alerted the police or taking a picture of them to post it on twitter to warn people right? I didn’t.

All that I can recall thinking at that moment was stay close to them so that those guys don’t get near them while we walk by, and afterwards make my friends forget what happened by trying to make conversation about something else. What bothers me the most is that if I find myself in the same situation in the future, I’m still not sure what the best course of action is. It pisses me off how useless I was to my friends and it scares me that in the future, I might be just as useless.

Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?

The fact that there is no accountability for these behaviors is what I think makes street harassment so common and the victims of it feel so powerless. A channel by which street harassment can be reported, and an audience that tunes in to these reports may a least bring some public shaming to the behavior. If people know that it is quite likely they are going to be branded as predators by everyone they know if the engage in street harassment, they might be less incline to engage in it.

– AB

Location: Wynwood area, Miami. Near the Wynwood walls walk entrance

Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for ideas.

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Late Fall News Round-Up 2017

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Here are some of the relevant stories, resources and research that’s come forward across September, October and November!

Global News:

BBC’s global 100 Women campaign included harassment on public transit.

Argentina’s Lower House approved a bill that will criminalize street harassment nationally and set-up a free hotline.

Rapper Drake called out a sexual assaulter in the audience of his show in Australia.

A new mobile app is launching in Belgium to help survivors and witnesses of sexual harassment.

Women in Brazil shared their stories of harassment and abuse by taxi and rides-sharing drivers.

The city of London in Ontario (Canada) is planning efforts to prevent street harassment.

Street artists in Colombia challenge sexism, street harassment with spray paint.

The new film “The People’s Girls” about street harassment in Egypt is now available.

Women in France rallied against sexual violence while a national law against street harassment inched closer to passage.

An anti-harassment hotline in France quickly had to shut down due to trolls.

Activists in Guyana discussed how to address street harassment in their country.

Safecity in India released a new mobile app.

New posters by the Dublin City Council (Ireland) say, “A sexist remark is not a compliment.”

There’s a new sexual harassment hotline for transit riders in Kathmandu (Nepal).

A college student in the Netherlands took selfies with many of her street harassers across one month.

Staying safe in Pakistan (and elsewhere) may be easier if you have money.

Beauty pageant contestants in Peru gave PSAs about sexual violence, including street harassment.

Two harasser police officers were the first ones tried under Quezon City’s anti-harassment ordinance (Philippines).

An anti-harassment ordinance was proposed in Baguio City (Philippines).

A woman in Singapore wrote about street harassment and the right to public spaces.

Bars and clubs in Switzerland are doing more to address sexual abuse.

A woman in the UK made a map of street harassment hotspots.

The “Unmute” badge fosters bystander action on public transit in the UK.

The category of “gender hate crime” is now recognized in Bristol (UK).

Upskirt photos and videos may become a crime in UK.

Womanability released a new video on women’s safety in public in Uruguay.

The Mary Sue in the USA invited women to give persistent harassers the number of their rejection hotline

Some migrants from Venezuela face harassment in Peru.

 

New Research:

The Global Mobility Report (by World Bank-led partner SuM4All) shows that “harassment and physical abuse are preventing women around the world from being able to use public transportation safely.”

43% of women in Germany have faced some form of sexual abuse, with most occurring in public spaces.

In the UK, a poll showed that younger women face higher rates of harassment and are more likely to see wolf-whistling as unacceptable compared with older women.

Almost 80% of women and 26% of men ages 18 to 24 have been sexually harassed during “a night out” in the UK.

In the UK, 34% of teenage girls worry about being followed by a stranger and many girls cited experiences of street harassment.

A new survey shows 1 in 3 men don’t think catcalling is harassment (USA)

 

Powerful or Notable Pieces:

“Where do Harvey Weinsteins come from?”

“My daughter got her first catcall [at age 11, from an adult man], and I didn’t know what to tell her.”

“On being a woman alone in the woods.”

“Paying to stay safe: why women don’t walk as much as men.”

“Black woman viciously attacked after rejecting advances of cat callers.”

“Jogger stabs man with knife after he groped her.”

“Flagstaff police looking for man accused of grabbing teen girls near schools.”

“Why it’s never okay for men to ask women to smile.”

“I recorded every time I was catcalled this summer: Here’s what I learned.”

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