Street Harassment Research Articles

How Boys Deflect Responsibility for Street Harassment: Class, Race, and Responses to Sexual Violence Awareness Programs

This paper shows how boys respond to harassment awareness training programs and analyzes how such audiences might fail to see street harassment as ‘their’ problem (therefore deflecting responsibility for sexual violence). It is based on ethnographic observations of street harassment awareness programs organized in France and interviews with their participants. Boys’ intersectional identities informed how they responded to this program. Boys of color in schools in underprivileged areas argued that racism towards racialized men, rather than the latter’s behavior, often led white women to report being sexually harassed. White boys in schools located in more affluent areas avoided feeling responsible for street harassment by associating violent acts with working-class men or men of colour. I argue that boys are more likely to deflect responsibility for sexual violence when a training program insufficiently relates the message to their personal experiences and lifeworld.

Association between sexual violence and depression is mediated by perceived social support among female university students in the kingdom of Eswatini

BackgroundGender-based violence is a tool that primarily functions to maintain gendered power hierarchies. Manifestations of gender-based violence, sexual assault and street harassment have been shown to have significant effects on mental wellbeing in the global North, however there is little research centering the experiences and consequences of gendered harassment in the Africa region.MethodsWe analyzed a cross-sectional random sample of 372 women attending a major university in Eswatini in 2017 to measure the prevalence of street harassment among female university students and assess the relationship between experiences of sexual assault, sexualized street harassment, and mental health outcomes in this population.ResultsWe found that in the previous 12 months, women reported experiencing high levels of sexual assault (20%), street harassment (90%), and depression (38%). Lifetime sexual assault, past 12 months sexual assault, and street harassment were all significantly associated with symptoms of depression. We created a structural model to test hypothesized causal pathways between street harassment, previous experiences of sexual assault, and symptoms of depression, with social support as a potential mediator. We found that a history of sexual violence significantly mediated the association between street harassment and depression, and that social support mediated a large proportion of the association between both forms of gender-based violence and depression.ConclusionSexualized street harassment is associated with increased depressive symptomology for nearly all women, however the effects are especially pronounced for women who have previous experiences of sexual violence. Sexualized street harassment functions as a tool to maintain gendered power hierarchies by reminding women of ongoing threat of sexual violence even in public spaces. Social support and solidarity among women is a potentially important source of resiliency against the physical and mental harms of all forms of gender based violence.

Apprehension of reproducing racialized stigmas in storytelling on street harassment in France: ‘I feel I’d just be adding to the stereotype’

Apprehension of reproducing racialized stigmas in storytelling on street harassment in France: ‘I feel I’d just be adding to the stereotype’

Unmasking Street Harassment in Spain: Prevalence, Psychological Impact, and the Role of Sexism in Women’s Experiences

Street harassment is a widespread problem that affects women from all backgrounds, often leading to negative psychological consequences such as anxiety, depression, and reduced self-worth. Despite the pioneering development of laws protecting women’s rights, Spanish culture often normalizes this type of violence against women, and research on this context remains limited. To address this gap, we conducted a cross-sectional study with 245 women in Spain to investigate the occurrence and impact of street harassment on psychological well-being. We used the Street Harassment Assessment Scale, a self-report measure designed to evaluate the prevalence and frequency of street harassment, and explored its association with anxiety, fear of rape, avoidance behavior, self-esteem, and adherence to sexist beliefs. The results showed that 98% of women experienced street harassment, with 80% reporting monthly occurrences. The frequency of street harassment was correlated with increased anxiety, fear of rape and avoidance behavior, and lower self-esteem. Additionally, the results supported the link between the endorsement of sexist ideology and lower identification of events. Collectively, the results underscore the negative impact of street harassment on women’s well-being and freedom, highlighting its role as a patriarchal tool that perpetuates female objectification and subordination. An integrative feminist perspective involving various fields, including psychology, public policy, and education, among others, is necessary to create safer environments for women.

Journalists’ Apprehension of Being Politically Correct: A Source of Racial Stereotyping of Street Harassment Perpetrators in the Press

ABSTRACT While racialized stereotyping in mass media is well-documented, sociological analysis of the journalistic practices and norms contributing to the production of such representations remains underdeveloped. We study these by analyzing media reporting on street harassment in the Netherlands, which frequently mentioned the racialized profiles of perpetrators. Existing research has proposed two major causes of racialized stereotyping in the press: (1) journalists’ passive and unreflective reproduction of popular racialized stereotypes and (2) commercialization of the press as favoring the provocative racialized discourse of right-wing populists. Based on content analysis of press coverage and interviews with Dutch journalists and the actors they reported on—politicians, activists, and others involved in the public problem of street harassment—we identify apprehension of political correctness as a third cause of racialized framings in the press. Specifically, we show how many journalists considered addressing the question of whether racialized men are overrepresented as perpetrators to be a way of avoiding complicity with politicians and other powerful actors who allegedly avoid sensitive questions about race and migration. This article proposes a theory of “apprehension of political correctness” as a contribution to scholarship on journalistic practice and racialized stereotyping in the press.

Catcalling as Street Harassment: A Critical Discourse Analysis

This study aims to explain the issue of catcalling as a form of harassment against women on the street. This research applies descriptive qualitative method which tries to identify, describe and explain phenomena through linguistic data along with the social and cultural context. The data were collected according to the research goal namely to explain the issue of catcalling depicted in the news text. The data were gathered by retrieving news text on catcalling issue from wollipop.detik.com and analyzed it using Fairclough's CDA framework. The results of the analysis show that in terms of text descriptions, the news writer used a variety of non-standard languages, informal word choices and the involvement of sources to support the issue. In terms of text interpretation, this media concentrates its news presentation on women-related issues by presenting its news which involves several sources to strengthen its reporting objectives. On the explanatory side of the text, the practice of discourse is associated with the socio-cultural context. Wollipop.detik.com alignment with the victim in this report confirms indirectly that the act of catcalling is a form of harassment against women. Readers are led to the understanding that as subtle as catcalling is, it is still a form of violence against women. Readers are also led to raising awareness of their impact. Readers' opinions are directed to provide a positive image as an active media in providing useful information to women as well as to play an active role in voicing injustice and inequality that occurs in society.

An investigation on perceptions of street remarks by Bruneian men and women

PurposeThe current study investigates perceptions of street harassment from a linguistic perspective. With regard to the theory of speech acts, some may deem street remarks as compliments instead of catcalls. There is a lack of linguistic research regarding the issue conducted with a Bruneian demographic. This study recognises the difference in the use of language by men and women and aims to find whether there is a difference in their perceptions of street remarks.Design/methodology/approachA method of triangulation between questionnaire surveys and focus group interviews was carried out to actualise these aims. Thirty-two female and thirty-two male respondents from the survey were used to conclude quantitative findings, whereas three male and three female participants were recruited for the focus group interview. Data were analysed through a t-test and discourse analysis consecutively.FindingsQuantitative data (p = 0.398) reveal that both men and women perceive street remarks almost equally as a form of street harassment. However, qualitative data reveal that male language and behaviour portray a more positive and tolerant attitude.Practical implicationsThis study provides evidence of the difference in perceptions between men and women towards street harassment.Originality/valueThis study explores a relatively unexplored area, that is investigating street remarks in a non-Western context, where the demographic could have different perceptions towards street remarks.

Using a digital app to monitor the effects of sexual harassment on mental health

Purpose Sexual harassment on public transport puts women at risk of mental health problems, apart from disrupting their lives and the harmful social consequences. This is especially the case for Pakistani women, for whom sexual harassment has been on the rise for the past decade. This study aims to explore how Pakistani women use strategies to cope with sexual harassment when using public transport and its mediating role in their issues with mental health. Design/methodology/approach Given that the data collection task on such a culturally sensitive topic was crucial, a mobile application for anonymized data collection was used, which appeared to be an effective strategy. Using the mobile application, 1,054 women who use public transport submitted their responses; however, the analysis is based on 250 usable responses. Their experience of harassment was measured using the Sexual Harassment Experience Questionnaire, their mental health using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales and their coping strategies by the Brief Cope Inventory. Findings The results indicate that adaptive coping is a significant negative mediator between sexual harassment and mental well-being, whereas maladaptive coping is non-significant. Adaptive coping, i.e. “Acceptance” to admit the reality that the problem exists with all, and “Religion” to seek help spiritually to deal with the problem. Unfortunately, the findings show no suitable coping means to deal with the impact of sexual harassment on women who travel on public transport. This study also illustrates that using the right technologies can encourage participants to submit responses for culturally sensitive topics. Originality/value This study provides insight into the experience of street harassment in Pakistani women and how it is related to mental health. This study also explores the role of adaptive and maladaptive coping as an intervening variable between street harassment and mental health.

It is “Part of this Larger Tapestry of Anti-queer Experiences”: LGBTQ+ Australians’ Experiences of Street Harassment

AbstractMost research on street harassment has focused on the experiences of heterosexual, cisgender women, shaping our understandings of street harassment as a problem of sexism and men’s violence against women. In this article, we examine semi-structured interviews with 25 LGBTQ+ Australians who detailed their experiences of street harassment. We found that LGBTQ+ people experience unique forms, contexts, and trajectories of street harassment that a cisheteronormative gendered framework cannot fully account for. Homophobia, transphobia, and heterosexism are drivers that have been under-theorized in street harassment literature. Our findings reiterate the importance of moving beyond over-simplified understandings of gender-based violence and the need to analyze other intersecting forms of marginalization beyond binary conceptualizations of gender.

Pengaruh Catcalling terhadap Self Esteem pada Mahasiswi

Self-esteem is an individual's evaluation in assessing or viewing himself regarding his abilities. One of the things that can cause self-esteem to decrease is catcalling behavior. Catcalling is the expression of sexually oriented words aimed at the victim using verbal and non-verbal expressions which often occurs in public places. This research aims to determine the effect of catcalling on self-esteem among female students in Jember Regency, and the impact experienced by victims is that they will always feel like they are blaming themselves, lack of self-confidence, low self-esteem. The subjects of this research are students from UNMUH Jember, UNEJ, POLIJE, and UIN KHAS In Jember, 348 people have experienced catcalling behavior in the last year. This research uses quantitative methods. Researchers used the Issac table formula to determine the sample size. The data analysis methods used in this research are validity test, reliability test, linearity test, and regression analysis test. The scale used in this research is the result of modifications using the Street Harassment Scale and the Self Esteem Scale. The results of this research show that the calculated F value is 0.163 > 0.0028 and the significance value is 0.686 > 0.05, which means that H0 is rejected and Ha is accepted, which means there is no significant influence between the catcalling variable and the self-esteem variable. For an R Square value of 0.000. This means that the catcalling variable has an influence of 0% on the self-esteem variable or it could be said that the catcalling variable has no influence on the self-esteem variable. This means that there are other variables that may influence self-esteem.

Catcalling victims’ long-term psychological impacts: A qualitative study

Catcalling incidents are a form of street harassment that occurs in public spaces, conducted by strangers through verbal expressions and behavioral intentions with sexual nuances. This research investigates the psychological dynamics of catcalling events as women perceive them. A qualitative method involves a phenomenological approach and recruiting four participants using purposive sampling. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews, with thematic data analysis using the qualitative data management software NVivo 12. The trustworthiness strategy of the research includes reflexive journaling during the thematic analysis process and a participant-checking procedure. The findings show that catcalling incidents contribute to negative feelings and destructive self-perceptions. In the short term, the psychological impacts of catcalling include fear and worry, discomfort, anxiety, and increased alertness when facing unsafe situations, while the long-term impacts include feelings of guilt, criticism of one’s body shape and appearance, and feeling ashamed of one’s identity as a woman. The research argues that negative body images resulting from catcalling incidents contribute to the risk of low self-esteem.

Combatting insecurity in the everyday: the global anti-street harassment movement as everyday security practitioners

ABSTRACT Street harassment renders countless women, girls and others insecure in their everyday lives. Over the past two decades a global grassroots movement developed to combat street harassment and its attendant insecurities. But neither phenomenon has excited the attention of Security Studies, critical or otherwise. In this paper, we focus on the global anti-street harassment movement, conceptualising its activists as ‘everyday security practitioners’ who, like privileged security practitioners in the state or the academy, theorise street harassment and devise and implement strategies to tackle it. In so doing we argue that Security Studies should pay more attention to the everyday, to insecurities like street harassment, and to such ‘everyday security practitioners’. To illustrate this argument we first define street harassment. We then consider Security Studies and its exclusion of the everyday. To argue for its inclusion in Security Studies, we explicate the diverse insecurities produced by street harassment, conceptualise 'everyday security practitioners’, and provide some illustrations of strategies deployed by the global anti-street harassment movement both to bring street harassment to wider public attention as a pervasive everyday insecurity and to combat it. We conclude with two suggestions for Security Studies.

Examining the immediate and enduring psychological impact of street harassment on women’s mental health

Purpose Many women report experiences of street harassment during their lifetime. Previous quantitative survey research has shown the variety of ways in which this type of harassment can impact upon a victim’s life, including restricting their freedom of movement and fear of further victimisation. The purpose of this study is understand the immediate and enduring psychological impact of street harassment on female victim-survivors. Design/methodology/approach The present study aims to explore, qualitatively, women’s experiences of street harassment through thematic analysis of on 35 online blog posts. Data were collected from the “Stop Street Harassment” website, where women are invited to share their experiences anonymously. Findings Three main themes were generated from the data. First was the age at which women began to experience street harassment, with recurring early incidents during formative childhood years. Second was the impact that experiences had on their mental health and psychological well-being with feelings of shame, fear, self-loathing, as well as decreased self-esteem and confidence experienced in the immediate aftermath – though the longer-term negative emotions reported were enduring feelings of anger alongside a constant state of anxiety from feelings of vulnerability to further victimisation. The final theme was the modification of behaviour after experiencing street harassment where women choose to avoid walking alone on the streets or consciously changed their clothing choices, to avoid being harassed. Originality/value This study offers a further qualitative insight into the real-life experience and psychological consequences of street harassment upon survivors’ mental health.

Divulging Women's Plight: A Critical Examination of Gender Exploitation and Suppression in Tsitsi Dangarembga’s this Mournable Body

This article critically examines the portrayal of gender exploitation and suppression in Tsitsi Dangarembga's novel, This Mournable Body. Drawing on the legacy of early African female authors and the works of contemporary African female writers, the study explores the depiction of women in the novel and their experiences, challenges, and injustices. Using a postcolonial feminist approach and employing close reading as a method, the article probes the preconceptions, norms, and narratives within the novel that perpetuate gender inequality. It investigates the portrayal of female characters, their agency and representation, and the intersections of gender with other dimensions of identity. The analysis reveals how women in the novel are subjected to public abuse, including street harassment, public shaming, and victim-blaming and domestic exploitation. It also highlights the intense subjugation, discrimination, and oppression faced by women in the Zimbabwean society depicted in the novel in general. By shedding light on these issues, the research aims to contribute to the promotion of gender equality and social justice, elevate women's voices, challenge patriarchal myths, and advocate for radical transformation within and beyond the literary world. The article employs a systematic approach that combines textual analysis with a postcolonial feminist theoretical framework.

Treet Harassment as Predictor of Self-Esteem Levels on Women Victims in Emerging Adulthood

Introduction: Street harassment phenomenon such as cat-calling, breast-grabbing, and stalking are increasingly occurring in Indonesia. The increasingly widespread phenomenon of street harassment creates a unsecure and discomfort for the community and causes a decrease in level of self-esteem for the victims. Objective: This study aims to determine the effect of experience of street harassment on the level of self-esteem in Indonesian women in the emerging adulhood group. Method: This study uses a quantitative approach with survey data collection. The participants of this study is 100 female aged 18-25 years old. The measuring instruments used were the 8 item Street Harassment Scale (SHS) that had been modified and the 10 item Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) designed. Data analysis used in this research is simple regression analysis and performed by Jamovi 2.3.21. Result and Discussion: As much as 60% of the level of self-esteem in victims of street harassment can be explained by the experience of street harassment (R Square = 0,605). Conclusions: From the results of research data analysis, it is known that there is a role of experience of street harassment on the level of self-esteem in women in the young adult age group

The racialisation of sexism: how race frames shape anti-street harassment policies in Britain and France

Femonationalism, that is, the use of women’s rights rhetorics to further racial stigmatisation and promote nationalism, has been of growing interest to social scientists on European contexts. While previous studies have provided insights on the racialisation of sexism in gender equality policymaking, there is still a limited understanding of how policy frames in particular national contexts can either exacerbate or mitigate femonationalism in the making of anti-gender-based violence policy. In particular, how do frames on race and racism impact the framing of anti-street harassment policies and, by extension, the ability to prevent femonationalism? The article explores this issue by comparing the cases of France and Britain through empirical data with policymakers and activists intervening in policymaking against street harassment in France and Britain. Findings suggest that, even though French state actors claim their colour-blindness allows them to avoid a racist framing of the problem, it actually enables it. This in turn favours a racialised framing of street harassment and leads to an inability to address the potential risk of racial targeting in the criminalisation of street harassment. Conversely, the acknowledgment of racism in Britain favours an intersectional framing of street harassment and leads to greater consideration of the risk of racial targeting. By analysing how race repertoires unfold in policy pre-adoption phases, the article therefore suggests that nationally embedded assumptions about race have a significant impact on the framing of anti-gender-based violence policy and, in turn, on femonationalism.

A SEMIOTICS ANALYSIS OF STREET HARASSMENT ACTS REPRESENTATION IN L’ORÉAL’S CAMPAIGN

Regarding the massive cases of sexual harassment, many companies tried to contribute to and support the stop sexual harassment movement by producing posters or video campaigns. Within those video campaigns released in the media, each has a profound meaning represented through graphic visualization, pictures, and sounds. Not only that, gestures, facial expressions, voice, or the language performed by the character in the illustration also brought many explicit meanings. Thus, this study aimed to reveal how the campaign video represents street sexual harassment and the messages to support each other or stand up against street harassment displayed by L'Oréal Paris in its campaign videos. From the analysis using Pierce's triangle of signs, the study revealed that street sexual harassment represented in the video into four types of street sexual harassment, namely suggestive comments, sexually explicit touch, inappropriate gestures, and being followed. However, society is not ready to face and combat street harassment. Thus, through the campaign video, L'Oréal brought some messages to educate society and encourage them to stand against street harassment.

Experiences of Street Harassment and the Active Engagement of Bystanders: Insights From a Swiss Sample of Respondents.

In this article, we analyze data from a survey conducted in the Swiss city of Fribourg to investigate the correlation between bystanders' experiences of street harassment and their likelihood of active engagement and strategies used to stop the harasser or assist and support targets of street harassment. Results reveal that, among bystanders, lifetime experiences of street harassment correlate positively with their ability to recognize street harassment conduct and the likelihood of intervention, support of the survivors, and reporting emergencies, even more significantly when the bystander endured physical abuse. In addition, behavioral differences among bystanders reflect different forms of resistance to the sexist culture that fuels street harassment. In light of these findings, we emphasize the need to integrate the narratives of the bystanders into awareness programs and campaigns, the importance of designing tools and policies to improve feelings of safety and limit street harassment conducts, including forms of benevolent sexism, and support further studies to assess the effectiveness of different intervention strategies in support of victims, including the need to research the use of digital media and its impact as a deterrent to street harassment or in increasing police reporting.

(042) Perceptions, Attitudes, and Lived Experiences of Syrian Women Refugees Regarding Sexual and Reproductive Rights

Abstract Introduction The relationship between conflict and the deterioration of women’s sexual and reproductive rights has been long established in the literature. However, the effect of conflict on women who become refugees is a growing field of research. Recent studies have shown that the experiences of living in conflict zones, prior to becoming refugees, impacts women’s sexual and reproductive health considerably. Reproductive sexual health and rights are particularly more challenging for refugee women as they constitute a new type of population rather than a temporary condition. In fact, international attention to reproductive sexual health needs of refugee women increased over past thirty years with the increasing global conflicts and crisis. Objective General objective: • To close a gap in scholarship on the lived experiences of women refugees from Syria’s attainment of reproductive rights, and to identify the multi-level factors that impact upon this attainment of these rights, with a specific focus on gender-based violence. Specific objectives: • Discover the specific needs and concerns of refugee women seeking to attain their reproductive rights and freedom from gender-based violence; • Engage decision makers in dialogues about how to tackle the vulnerability of refugee women and girls vis-à-vis reproductive rights, and gender-based violence, about how to implement a gendered perspective when designing policies to assist and empower women and girl refugees, and to increase their access to sexual and reproductive health services; Provide information to healthcare providers and humanitarian actors in the problems and recommendations, as told by service recipients themselves; Methods The research is qualitative in nature. It combined several qualitative methods of data collection, including face-to-face interviews, focus groups, and participant observation. Results Results of focus group discussions revealed that women are aware of various forms of violence inflicted upon them by husbands, health services, and community. They experience physical violence, sexual violence, and cope with it in fear and silence to avoid retaliation from husband (marrying another woman), and from her family. Women refugees reported also barriers to access healthcare services like discrimination, mistreatment, and shaming, which seriously affected seeking care for reproductive and sexual health problems. Street harassment was also reported at different levels (taxi drivers, stores, host community). Survivors of violence used few coping mechanism basically being passive, seeking secretly reproductive health care (OCPS, IUDs, meds), and focusing on their children. Conclusions Women refugees are subjected to all form of violence and they need immediate and log term support in terms of empowering them to speak against abuse, freedom to chose to work or not, and education which should be supervised by the international agencies like UNHCR who must be watchful of GBV and sexual violence befalling on the women refugees. Health care providers need to be more culturally sensitive and provide dignified care to those women. Disclosure No

‘I’d be in my school uniform’: the informal curriculum of street harassment

ABSTRACT A growing body of literature has documented the pervasive occurrence of harassment in schools, and street-based harassment. However, to date there has been little attention to street-based harassment occurring in school-related contexts, such as walking to and from school in uniform. In this article, we aim to address this gap by exploring findings from 47 qualitative interviews with individuals who have experienced street and public harassment in Australia. Street harassment was commonly encountered by participants while they were in their school uniform, and beginning high school was often associated with the onset or increased intensity of street harassment. Drawing on Foucault’s concept of disciplinary power and feminist theorisation on embodiment, we argue that street harassment – and school responses to this harassment – functioned as an ‘informal curriculum’ that normalized the occurrence of harassment and produced young people’s bodies as sites of risk that required surveillance, control, and careful management through engagement in safety work.