Posted with the permission of Observatorio Contra el Acoso Callejero Chile

* New study shows that serious street harassment practices such as touching, exhibitionism and masturbation affect two in every five people on average.

* High percentage of citizens agree that sexual harassment in streets should be punished.

SANTIAGO, 19 March.- This week (March, 16th), at the former Congress, the Observatorio Cotra el Acoso Callejero – OCAC Chile (Observatory Against Street Harassment) presented the results of its second study, “Is Chile willing to punish street harassment? Study of characterization and opinion about street harassment and possible sanctions.”

Among the findings of the study, notes that three out of four people have suffered street harassment in Chile in the last 12 months, which means 75% of the population. In the case of women, the percentage reaches 85% and of men 55%.

The study also revealed that cases of street harassment are common: two in five people have suffered rubbing, touching or groping in public spaces, and 23% of women have experienced some form of serious harassment (persecution, exhibitionism, public masturbation).

Regarding the perception of the public on this issue, the results show that 84% of people totally disapprove any practice of harassment, whether “compliments”, groping or exhibitionism.

Another surprising fact was the boldness of the result of the question “Are you willing to punish street harassment?”. The answer was a resounding yes: over 90% of people said they would sanction any for of street harassment. What, in the Observatory’s opinion, demonstrates the need to legislate.

“This study reinforces our policy action: analyze a type of violence that has been naturalized and do not accept to have 12 years old girls who need to be “used to street harassment. The results of our second study demonstrate that we are facing a significant social change, Chileans think street harassment is harmful and should be punished”, said María José Guerrero, sociologist and parti of the OCAC Chile’s Studies team.

To conduct this study, OCAC Chile was sponsored by UN Women and European Union.

 

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Observatorio contra el Acoso Callejero (OCAC)
Javiera Contreras
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Mónica Maureira M.
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