Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

“3 men approached me trying to touch my face and kept asking me to come with them”

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I’m a 16 year old girl, living in Brussels (parents moved from US to work here). I’ve recently stopped hanging out with my friends at the mall or the city shopping street, because of the looks, catcalling and remarks my friends and I get. My friends and I do not dress provocatively, but we do wear sun-dresses and shorts in summer, which we should be able to do, without being shouted at.

I really hate this behavior. A few weeks ago I was waiting for my friends outside a cinema (It hadn’t opened yet, I was 10 minutes early), It was 2 P.M, and around me were couples, groups of friends, families etc. Yet, 3 men still approached me trying to touch my face and kept asking me to come with them, and tried to pressure me into going into their car with them. I got so scared, I ran away and called my parents to pick me up.

Since that experience I don’t go anywhere without my mom or dad. This has really had a bad affect on me, I wish the sexual street harassment would stop. What is disgusting is when they do it to underage girls as well. I know 13 year old girls who are touched by strangers. It makes me sick.

Some people say it is flattering that men find them “hot”, but it makes me feel even more worthless and empty, as if the only reason I exist is to be looked at for being female.

– A.R.

Location: Brussels, Belgium

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“This shouldn’t happen to anyone”

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I was walking home from the library and an SUV full of guys followed me and howled at me.

I get mistaken for a woman all the time. This shouldn’t happen to anyone.

– EQ Guy

Location: One block from home

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Street harassers crush her dreams of loving to live in the city

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I was at a stop waiting for public transportation to go home. I was new to the city, so walking alone wasn’t a big deal yet. As I was walking towards the platform from the mall, a few 40 year old or so men were standing in the corner, waiting for the same light rail. One of them shouted saying, “You know you’re hot. You know you are. I’d like to take you home and tear you up,” and the others laughed.

I did nothing but ignore, and feel my eyes start to swell. It just so happens that on my way home on the same evening, just ten minutes after that incident, I caught an even older man staring at me. I tried to ignore it, but when his stop came he looked at me and stated so everyone could hear, “You’re so beautiful you look like a model.”

I am from a small town, and could feel comfortable going to the mall in the evening. I am only 19 and I moved away from the city because of how frequent I would be bothered walking in the street. My dream since I was a little girl was to love living in the city.

– E

Location: Lloyd Center Mall Portland, Oregon

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“I want to throw that bitch on the ground right here and fuck her up”

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Trigger Warning!

I was riding the Red Line in Chicago when two drunk men got on. You could tell they were both drunk and high. One had an alcoholic drink in his hand, and they both had joints behind an ear.

They started swearing and talking about the woman on the train. The said some really vulgar things. They pointed to me and talked said, “I want to throw that bitch on the ground right here and fuck her up. Teach her her place. I’ll nail her right here. Look at her sitting there like she is better than us. I’ll fuck her up.”

They said the things along the same line about several females on the train. Several times when females would exit the train (the men where standing by the doors) they would grab they woman’s but or breasts. I did notice they were armed. It really shook me up.

– Anonymous

Location: Chicago, IL. CTA Red Line

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“He grabbed my head and tried to whisper ‘You’re beautiful’ in my ear”

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I was taking public transportation and an obviously drunk guy came on with two swollen eyes and dried blood stains by one eye. Not trying to make this a race thing but i’m a black female and with some black men I know I cant even make eye contact or it will start. Not that all men harass and not that black men don’t harass others because they do but I have noticed they are worse with us because they think no one is going to intervene and they can get away with it.

Anyways so, I tried not to make any eye contact cause I just knew he was gonna say something to me. He came right to my seat, grabbed my head and tried to whisper “You’re beautiful” in my ear. Then he sat behind me. I told him there was no need to ever touch me and I don’t like people touching me and he said he did that cause he thought I had head phones on.

I go back to ignoring him and then he tells me he got beat up in the war just now and that’s why his eyes are swollen (lmao!). He keeps talking more nonsense and I tell him I have a boyfriend i’m gonna marry just to keep him off my back but of course he said he didn’t care and he starts pulling out his credit card saying he’ll take me wherever I want to go. He keeps trying to touch my shoulder and i’m like STOP TOUCHING ME but he wont and then he starts saying i’m not even his type and i’m a mess really loud and i’m like “oh I’M the mess”.

Meanwhile the driver is doing NOTHING to stop it. There was a girl that looked shocked and I could tell she wanted to say something but didn’t want to get involved so she wouldn’t get harassed as well. Finally he got off at the stop but I was totally humiliated and violated.

I’m 29 years old and have been dealing with it since I was about 15. Some men just see women as second class citizens and they have a right to say and do anything to us and get away with it. I have tried everything to get them to stop and nothing works.

– Anonymous

Location: Southern Illinois, near St. Louis, MO

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Include your location and it will be added to the Street Harassment Map.

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