What is street harassment?
Street harassment is unwanted comments, gestures, and actions forced on someone in a public place without that person’s consent. It may or may not also be sexual harassment. The harassment usually comes from strangers and is often directed at someone because of sex, gender, religion, nationality, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
You may have experienced street harassment if anyone has ever:
- Whistled or catcalled at you
- Made negative comments about your sex, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or sexual identity
- Continued to ask for your name, phone number, or other personal information after you’ve said no
- Followed you or stalked you
- Showed you his or her private body parts (called “flashing”)
- Masturbated in front of you
- Physically touched you in private areas
How can I respond to street harassment?
You may have only a few seconds to decide on the best way to react to someone harassing you or someone else. Because street harassment often happens between strangers in a public place, you may not have the same legal protection that you have for sexual harassment that takes place at work or school or in your house. But no one has the right to physically touch or hurt you. Physically hurting someone or touching someone else without their permission or consent is always illegal.
It’s probably safest to leave the situation as quickly as possible. If you cannot physically leave the situation right away, you have some other options:
- Ignore the person. It can be difficult to ignore someone who is saying insulting or demeaning things, but talking or arguing may lead to physical violence. Your safety is the most important consideration.
- Move closer to someone in uniform. Most people unconsciously associate uniforms with authority or power. If there is anyone in your area in any type of uniform, like a security guard, doctor, police officer, or bus driver, try to stand or sit near them. Then leave the situation as soon as you can.
- Start talking to someone else. Harassment can be easier to ignore if you are in a group or talking to someone else. If you are alone, look for someone around you to talk to.
- Call someone on your phone. Pretend to talk on your phone even if the person doesn’t answer. Tell the person on the phone where you are, like “I’m at the Pine Street stop on the number 42 line and should be there soon.” This may discourage a harasser from continuing the harassment if they think you can tell others about it.
- Report them. If the harassers are in a car, write down their license plate number and call the police. If the harassers are wearing a shirt or driving a vehicle that identifies their company, call or email the company to report what the employees did. If you have a smartphone, record a video of the harassment and let the person being harassed know that you are doing so.
If you see someone else being harassed, and feel safe doing so, try to help. You can support the person being harassed without talking to the person doing the harassing. Ask the person being harassed if they’re OK, or if you can help them move away from the situation. Offer to record the harassment with a smartphone.