• About Us
    • What Is Street Harassment?
    • Why Stopping Street Harassment Matters
    • Meet the Team
      • Board of Directors
      • Past Board Members
    • In The Media
  • Our Work
    • National Street Harassment Hotline
    • International Anti-Street Harassment Week
    • Blog Correspondents
      • Past SSH Correspondents
    • Safe Public Spaces Mentoring Program
    • Publications
    • National Studies
    • Campaigns against Companies
    • Washington, D.C. Activism
  • Our Books
  • Donate
  • Store

Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Harassment Stories
    • Blog Correspondents
    • Street Respect Stories
  • Help & Advice
    • National Street Harassment Hotline
    • Dealing With Harassers
      • Assertive Responses
      • Reporting Harassers
      • Bystander Responses
      • Creative Responses
    • What to Do Before or After Harassment
    • Street Harassment and the Law
  • Resources
    • Definitions
    • Statistics
    • Articles & Books
    • Anti-Harassment Groups & Campaigns
    • Male Allies
      • Educating Boys & Men
      • How to Talk to Women
      • Bystander Tips
    • Video Clips
    • Images & Flyers
  • Take Community Action
  • Contact

When the police and an establishment where harassment happens don’t do anything

March 29, 2011 By Contributor

First I am a witness to these unfortunate events. I guess i was lucky in not being touched.

There was an event at an art gallery. Girls were telling us this man was inappropriately touching them. We go to confront him and he starts yelling at my friend… We start to leave his room and he starts rubbing a volunteer’s back in front of me. I ask him to stop and he comes up to me like he’s gonna hug me and i hold a back pack in between us. He gets mad and slams the door.

Within the hour we hear about him shoving a girl and that he touched and kissed a 16 year old girl. The man locks himself in his gallery. We go to one of the other gallery owners for help and in turn he tells us this is not the first time this man has done this. They wanted to keep it quiet because they didn’t want people to think badly of the building. If we had known before hand we would have never held our event there.

We called the police, she gives her report. What i hear back from a volunteer is that since it wasn’t rape or murder the police won’t do anything. They do make the effort to come downstairs and knock on his gallery door. He doesn’t answer they leave. Using hi-light someone hung up a “Child Molester” sign on his gallery.

After the event, the arts guild we worked with are only worried about their galleries and not getting into trouble. They want the “Incident” kept quiet. Some stand by this man because he’s there friend and blame his alcoholism, the police are annoyed because some girls took too long to report. They didn’t know what to do. Neither did we.

That building is supposed to host a local High School Arts program and that man that went around grabbing girls will be working with them. i don’t know what to do anymore.

– Santa Ana Artists Village you’re on “CHECK”

Location: 207 n Broadway, Santa Ana, California 92701

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue

Share

Filed Under: Stories, street harassment Tagged With: sexual harassment, street harassment

“Don’t let these perverts get you down!”

March 29, 2011 By Contributor

I live in NYC and get harassed pretty much every day. Yesterday I was in Union Square and this old man walked up to me and said, “Nice tits baby.” I ignored him and he proceeded to follow me from behind for two blocks saying things that I won’t even post here. I turned around and said, “Wtf is wrong with you?”

He took a left turn like one second later!

I’m 25 and have grown up here. I remember the first time I was harassed I was 12 and the guy was an old man too. At this point I am fed up and wish I could hit them with a baseball bat!

I recently found this site and I am proud of everyone for sharing their stories! Don’t let these perverts get you down!

– Alex

Location: Union Square, New York City

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue

Share

Filed Under: Stories, street harassment Tagged With: street harassment

“This was the first time I felt in a position where I could do something”

March 28, 2011 By Contributor

I’m a man, I have never been harassed so I don’t know how degrading it feels but I do know it is awful to watch. I have been brought up by a very feminist Mother and a Father who treated me to stand up for others. I saw a young girl in a club who was being chatted up by a guy who was obviously drunk and much older by at least ten years but it progresses to being rather sexually aggressive as she turned him down. He started to grope and pinch as she walked away pulling her back and so on. It was embarrassing to watch and made me feel sick with anger, this was the first time I felt in a position where I could do something, I walked over and said, ‘Thats enough.’

He seemed startled but instantly his attention switched away from the girl, which was fortunate. Unfortunately his attention turned to me. I am not big or strong and I received a good beating. But I have never felt better about myself and would do it again if I saw it.

– C W-M

Location: Southend Night Club.

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue

Share

Filed Under: male perspective, Stories, street harassment Tagged With: bystander, club, groping, sexual harassment, street harassment

13-year-old fears assault

March 28, 2011 By Contributor

I’m a fairly tall girl, I recently had my 13th birthday. In the past two years, I’ve been looked at, stared at, hit on, whistled at and had cars/trucks honk at me. It’s slowly becoming more frequent and I’m sometimes scared what else is going to happen.

I’m only just a teenager, I’m in year 8. I’m scared one day a man is going to grab me and I’ll be too young and weak to fight him off, then all I could do is scream… I wish there was a better way to get this across to all the men in the world…

– Anonymous

Location: Central London

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue

Share

Filed Under: Stories, street harassment Tagged With: sexual harassment, street harassment

Standing up for yourself makes you a police officer and a slag!

March 28, 2011 By Contributor

I was at a cash machine on a quiet street in Newcastle city centre. I sensed someone was behind me, stood too close. I turned around and this guy started laying on thick…”You’re gorgeous…let me take you for a drink…come on, I’ll show you a good time.”

I told him to back off and then, feeling a little brave, said to him, “Do you think it’s a good idea to approach lone females, especially at cash points, and harass them? I’m not saying I’m intimidated (I was!) but another female could be??”

He then told me to f* off, got right in my face and said “You must be a f**kin’ police officer or something to speak in the way that you do – slag.”

Feeling brave again, I told him to get lost and walked away, all the while he was shouting and swearing at me.

I go through this MANY times, but this has been one of the worst incidents! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the furtive glances, a smile, someone trying to catch my eye. I don’t mind a nice compliment or a business card/phone number sneaked my way……but some people don’t realise how aggressive they are and how intimidating they can be. I have had numerous experiences of men approaching me and then getting nasty and aggressive when I turn them away. I hate it.

– SD

Location: Northumberland Street, Newcastle, United Kingdom

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issu

Share

Filed Under: Stories, street harassment Tagged With: sexual abuse, street harassment, verbal harassament

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Share Your Story

Share your street harassment story for the blog. Donate Now

From the Blog

  • #MeToo 2024 Study Released Today
  • Join International Anti-Street Harassment Week 2022
  • Giving Tuesday – Fund the Hotline
  • Thank You – International Anti-Street Harassment Week 2021
  • Share Your Story – Safecity and Catcalls Collaboration

Buy the Book

  • Contact
  • Events
  • Join Us
  • Donate
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2026 Stop Street Harassment · Website Design by Sarah Marie Lacy