Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Our New National Study on Street Harassment Found….

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
06/03/14

Contact: Holly Kearl, hkearl@stopstreetharassment.org, (571) 449-7326

Two in Three American Women Experience Sexual Harassment and Assault in Public Spaces

Stop Street Harassment Releases a Groundbreaking National Report

RESTON, VA — From “hey baby” to homophobic slurs, from following to groping, sexual harassment and assault in public spaces by strangers, or “street harassment,” is experienced by more than 107 million women in the United States, according to a study released today by the nonprofit organization Stop Street Harassment (SSH). GfK conducted the 2,000-person nationally representative survey in early 2014.

Half of all women had been harassed by age 17 and most women were somewhat or very concerned that the harassment would escalate into physical violence. Most harassed women also reported changing their lives in some way because of it, including avoiding locations where they had been harassed, no longer going places alone, and even moving neighborhoods or quitting jobs.

Some men also reported experiencing street harassment, especially men who identified as gay, bisexual or transgender. Being the target of a homophobic or transphobic comment (9%) was the most common experience for all harassed men. Half of respondents said their harassment started by age 17, and many men changed their lives because of the harassment they experienced.

The overwhelming majority of both women and men identified one man or a group of men as the perpetrator of harassment.

“It is shameful that millions of people are harassed by men simply for being in public spaces while they travel to and from school, work, stores, and events,” said Holly Kearl, executive director of Stop Street Harassment and author of two books on the subject. “If we want to see the United States achieve equality for all, it is imperative that communities — and we as a nation — address this pervasive human rights violation.”

While verbal comments were the most common form of harassment, an alarmingly number of women had faced more severe forms, too. Among all female respondents, 23% had been purposely sexually touched, 20% had been followed, and 9% had been forced to do something sexual.

“Street harassment is a pervasive form of sexual violence that has a profound impact for those who are harassed, their friends and families, and their community. Failing to address this systemic problem continues to perpetuate the belief that this behavior is acceptable,” said Michele Black, PhD, a SSH report advisor and the lead author of the U.S. Centers for Disease Controls (CDC) National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey 2010 Summary Report. “It is important that bystanders step forward and show that street harassment will not be tolerated,” the recently retired CDC epidemiologist said.

The report also includes stories from 10 focus groups conducted across the nation as well as recommendations for what we all can do to address this problem. There are separate recommendations directed to educators, community leaders, transit authorities, law enforcement, business owners, and individuals, complete with examples of promising and replicable initiatives.

The full report and a two-page executive summary are available for download on the SSH website.

HuffPost Live will air a segment on the report at 2:30 p.m. EDT today.

 

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Men are NOT Entitled to Our Attention, Bodies, or Lives

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In the wake of the UC Santa Barbara shooting by a man angry at women and the shooting in Stockton, California, where a man allegedly fired his gun at three women Saturday morning who refused to have sex with him and his friends, a lot of people are speaking out about how common it is for some men to feel entitled to women’s attention and bodies.

In addition to articles on news sites and posts on blogs on this topic, people are taking to Twitter and speaking out using the hashtag #YesAllWomen.

Also, Deanna Zandt started a new Tumblr called When Women Refuse (Trigger Warning), detailing the violence men incite on women for refusing their sexual advances.

Street harassment is coming up a lot in these conversations because it is a very clear manifestation of this type of behavior. I see this this all the time in the stories I hear and collect on this blog.

1 – In the first place, most street harassment is the outcome of men feeling entitled to comment on, follow and touch women (and men) they do not know, without their permission.

2 – Then, when women refuse to say thank you to the harasser, give him their phone number, agree to sex, smile when he tells them to or otherwise refuses men’s demands, some men get angry and call women stuck up or a bitch, push them, chase them, throw garbage at them*, run them over and shoot them. This is insane. It needs to STOP.

SSH is releasing a huge national report on street harassment in one week. It includes summaries of 10 focus groups and these kinds of stories came up many times. I hope the report can contribute valuable information to this conversation and show why male feelings of entitlement to women needs to be addressed.

Men are never entitled to women’s attention or bodies. This is an important message that we must all spread. Women’s lives depend on it.

* See the full film for the garbage story

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Final Fundraising Push for National Study

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Dear SSH Community,

I have excited news!! We are moving forward with the first-ever national study on street harassment!! So many of you have helped make this happen and it’s being funded entirely by people like you. Thank YOU!! We’re doing one more fundraising push and I could use your help.

We need to raise a few more thousand dollars to cover costs associated with putting together a top-notch report and its dissemination — and if we reach our goal, we can ask more questions in the study (the firm charges by the question).

Think of your loved ones who feel unsafe in public spaces because of street harassment and please consider making a donation in their name. You will also have your name (and theirs, if it’s in honor of someone) included in the acknowledgements of the report and receive a link to the PDF a day before it is released.

I guarantee, this study is going to make a difference.

Learn more here and here.

Thank You!

Holly

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Philly bicyclists: Join discussion group on 2/25

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Within the month, Stop Street Harassment will commission first-ever national survey on street harassment (donate now to help cover the costs associate with the research report!).

To supplement the national survey, I have conducted small discussion groups with various demographics across the country, including queer women of color in NY, Native Americans in SD, and women in CA who deal with harassment in cars.

With the Bicycle Coalition, SSH is hosting a one-hour discussion group on street harassment and cycling on Tuesday, February 25, at 6 p.m. at the Bicycle Coalition’s offices (1500 Walnut Street, Suite 1107, Philadelphia), and if you’re in the area and have faced harassment while bicycling, you’re invited to participate.

At the discussion group, I will give a quick overview of the study and then lead and tape record a discussion about attendees’ street harassment stories and the impact the issue has had on them. The recording is only to ensure accurate documentation of the stories and people can choose to be totally anonymous.

The national street harassment survey and discussion group findings will inform a national report and each discussion group will have 1-2 pages in the report featuring a few stories and overall themes. The report will be sent to educators, lawmakers, and community leaders to better help them understand the issue and what they can do to make public places safer for everyone.

Attendees will receive drinks & snacks and a copy of my new book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers.

RSVP to hkearl@stopstreetharassment.org

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Help Out on #GivingTuesday

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Queer women of color shared their street harassment stories in New York, July 2013

It’s #GivingTuesday! If you’ve ever been street harassed or if one of your loved ones has been, please consider donating $10 or more to help fund the first-ever national study on street harassment. We need this data to better address the issue. We’re only about $21,000 away from our goal!!!

The study will include a 2,000 person national survey (which is why it costs so much) as well as 10 focus groups with under-represented voices. Already, we’ve done these focus groups with Native Americans in South Dakota, queer women of color in New York, and GBTQ men in Washington, D.C., as well as some regional focus groups in places like Los Angeles and Brooklyn.

There are various perks you’ll get in return for your donation, including a signed copy of the new book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers!

With your donation, you can make a difference in people’s lives, especially the next generation of girls and boys. Everyone deserves to be safe in public spaces but it will take all of us to make that happen.

 

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