What does the Name “Stand Up Against Street Harassment” mean? 

We wanted a name that inspired people to take action by standing up for each other.  We want to be clear though — you don’t need to physically stand up to intervene or otherwise respond to harassment. Our methodology offers concrete ways that people can “stand up” regardless of their ability.

Source:  Bystander Intervention Training: Stand Up Street Harassment | Hollaback (ihollaback.org)

What is Street Harassment and Who is Most Impacted? 

Street harassment is sexual, gender-based, and bias-motivated harassment that takes place in public spaces like the street, the supermarket, and the social media we use every day. At its core is a power dynamic that constantly reminds historically subordinated groups of our vulnerability to assault in public spaces. Street harassment can happen to anyone, but disproportionately punishes women, girls, LGBTQ+ people, and other marginalized groups for being themselves in the world.

Street harassment is on a spectrum of gender-based violence. At one end of the spectrum, we have examples like inappropriate gestures, staring, whistling, following, and comments about your appearance or identity.  As we move along the spectrum we start to see more severe forms of street harassment like public exposure and groping that are illegal.  We include these behaviors in how we define street harassment because they are so common, pervasive, and rarely reported to authorities.

Street harassment is not about sexual gratification. It’s about power. If street harassment were about getting dates, it would be what author Marty Langelan calls a “spectacularly unsuccessful strategy.” Instead, street harassment is about “putting people in their place.”

At Hollaback!, we believe that what specifically counts as street harassment is determined by those who experience it. If you feel like you have been harassed, we believe you, we support you, and we invite you to share your story.

Source:  Bystander Intervention Training: Stand Up Street Harassment | Hollaback (ihollaback.org)

How should I respond to Street Harassment?

Remember that it’s not your fault. And because it’s not your fault, it’s also not your responsibility to have the perfect response to street harassment. It’s their responsibility not to harass you.

While everyone is vulnerable to street harassment, research suggests that people who are aware of their surroundings, walk with confidence, and respond confidently to harassment are less vulnerable. Nevertheless, direct confrontations with people who harass can escalate, particularly if you are alone or in an unpopulated space. While it is each individual’s right to decide when, how, and whether to respond to street harassment, it’s important to prioritize your safety and wellbeing. To learn more about how to respond to harassment, check out the training on the Stand Up  Against Street Harassment website.

If you want support, we’ve got your back. Read on to find out how to report harassment on Hollaback!’s website or via the app. If you’re thinking bigger picture, you can take action here and even start a Hollaback! site in your community.

Why Street Harassment Matters

Street harassment is an experience that devalues people of all sexual orientations, cultures and beliefs causing them to doubt their own experiences. When we watch harassment happen without intervening, it deepens the trauma for the person being harassed and shows the person doing the harassing that their behavior is OK. We want to disrupt this dynamic one intervention at a time.

When we see someone fall, or drop something in public, we instinctively help out. Why don’t we have the same reaction when we see someone being sexually harassed? We see it happen, but uncomfortably look away. We feel the urge to speak up, but stay cautiously silent. We all want to do something about it, but don’t know what. Or worse, we end up thinking it’s “not a big deal.” Not knowing what constitutes street harassment and what to do, limits our ability to take action, chipping away at the self-worth of men and women who suffer from street harassment.

Responding as a Bystander

All across the United States, girls, women, and transgender and gender non-binary individuals experience street harassment simply because of their gender identity or gender expression.

We all have a responsibility to do something when we see street harassment happening, but too often we freeze. We don’t know what to do.  Bystander intervention gives us tools to intervene without compromising our own safety.

When we intervene, we don’t just reduce trauma for the person being street harassed. We also start to chip away at the culture that allows harassment to be so prevalent.

What’s worse than being targeted with harassment because of your race, sex, religion, color, gender, size, orientation, disability, age, or origin? Being targeted while surrounded by bystanders who see what is happening, but then do nothing.

How do you solve the problem of Street Harassment? 

We believe that bystander intervention is a key intervention because it puts power in the hands of community members. We do not strategies that further criminalize harassment because we believe that the root street harassment is bias — not “a few bad apples.”

Historically we’ve seen that criminal law and punishment are disproportionately applied to people of color, low-income individuals, and trans and gender-nonconforming people. As advocates, we steer policymakers away from measures that would increase criminalization that predominantly affects these groups, and toward measures that engage communities in prevention. Replacing sexist oppression with racist oppression is not a proper hollaback.  As we explained in a 2013 Huffington Post article:

Criminalizing verbal harassment and unwanted gestures is neither the final goal nor the ultimate solution to this problem and can, in fact, inadvertently work against the growth of an inclusive anti-harassment movement. The criminal justice system disproportionately targets and affects low-income communities and communities of color, as evidenced by policies such as New York City’s Stop and Frisk program and other degrading forms of racial profiling. Our objective is to address and shift cultural and social dialogues and attitudes of patriarchy that purport street harassment as simply the price you pay for being a woman or being LGBTQ. It is not to re-victimize men already discriminated against by the system.

We recommend policy solutions that expand bystander intervention education, improve research and reporting mechanisms, train police and transit officers, engage local businesses, and bring together diverse community members to facilitate “community safety audits.”

Source: Bystander Intervention Training: Stand Up Street Harassment | Hollaback (ihollaback.org)