I am not even free from harassment in my own home. Teenagers in my neighborhood scream, “Brothel,” at all hours of the day and night.

– Laura Rizzardini

Location: Oak Park, Illinois

Share your street harassment story today.

“People need to stop viewing harassment of women on the street as complimentary or, at worst, a minor nuisance, and start seeing it for what it is: disrespectful, belittling, objectifying, scary, and sometimes illegal,” wrote Margaret Heftler, a teen reporter for Youth Communication magazine.

She has a great article on street harassment in the May/June 2013 issue of the magazine (also available online). Youth Communication teen reporter Elisabet Rivera made a companion video in which she asks some men on the corner why they comment on girls’ looks as they pass by, and explains how uncomfortable–and intimidating–street harassment can be for girls.

Teenage girls face some of the most frequent and vile forms of street harassment and hearing about the issue from them directly is so important! Well done, Margaret and Elisabet!

I was walking down back to my friend’s house with my friend after buying a few things and eating out. When we were just 2 streets away from her house, a guy stopped in front of us and lowered his window. We crossed the street because we didn’t want trouble. He lowered the other window and shouted to me, “You’re looking hot.”

I ignored him and carried on walking and he started stalking me down the street and stopped in front of us again he said, “Do you want it?” and he winked.

I said, “What?’

And he said, “I’ll give you it good for free, want it?”

I said, “No!” angrily and started walking quicker.

He stalked us part-way down the street and then turned.

– A

Location: Oldbury, West Midlands, UK

Share your street harassment story today.

Street harassment is often overlooked here at Penn State, where the lure of a Nittany Lion football game–or even a typical Friday night–often leaves the streets amassed with partiers. Too often, Penn State students use alcohol as an excuse to say or shout crude comments to women on the street.

As part of this year’s International Anti-Street Harassment Week and Penn State’s Sexual Violence Awareness Week, student feminists invited their peers to share street harassment stories with the public. They shared the images in a Facebook album, which you can view here. Check out their stories below:

Julie Mastrine is an activist, feminist, and writer working in the PR industry. She holds a B.A. in Public Relations from Penn State University, and is a social media volunteer for Stop Street Harassment. You can follow Julie on Twitter.

I was on the bus, when a boy behind me started to say obscenities about a who he thought was ugly.

“Ugh, she’s so fat! Whale!”

“You know I love her, really, with a hairy p****.”

“So ugly! Put a bag on her head!”

“Look at her hair, I mean, really, look at it! What is that?”

My pulse immediately quickened, as it always does when I hear someone insulting someone, or even laughing, because always feel like it’s about me. I tried to tell myself that not everyone hates me, and that he was probably talking about someone else. Some one who had wronged him. Someone who he actually knew.

His friends said, “Ah man, that’s rude. Stop it.” But that didn’t stop them from laughing.

The more filth that spewed from his mouth, the more uneasy I grew. Other passengers turned around to look at me. He definitely was talking about me. But why?

I hadn’t done anything to him. I’d never even laid eyes on him before. What could make someone want to attack a total stranger who was minding her own business.

Whatever it was, its made me realize why I don’t feel comfortable outside of my house; Why I’m so painfully shy, I can’t speak to someone I don’t know, without breaking out into a sweat; And why I always feel like the ugliest girl in the world.

– Anonymous

Location: Kent, UK

Share your street harassment story!