“Hey sweetie, where you headed?” he jeers. I stare straight ahead, raise the volume on my headphones and keep walking. Picking up my pace slightly, I round the next corner and walk two blocks down. “Almost home” I think, “just two more avenues and a block.” Just as I reach that block, there’s another one; I get an exaggerated “wow” and a perverted stare. It’s only 10:23 at night, and I’m in one of the nicest areas of the village, yet I feel so unsafe. Why some men think it’s appealing to shout out comments about a girl’s appearance, or to stare for an unsettling amount of time, is beyond me.
What some people fail to understand is that even if the words someone says don’t seem creepy or offensive, body language says a lot. Blocking someone’s path, making kissing noises, whistling, etc. are all forms of street harassment. New York City is not unique in this; it happens in all corners of the world. Catcalling is a serious social issue that cannot be solved simply by petitioning and awareness. It not only happens at night, although for some reason it tends to become frequent after dark, but at all hours during the day. It makes the victims feel like prey. Objectifying someone does not equate to a compliment in any situation! Sure, victims may have gotten past their harassers this time, but suppose one night they come across a person who’s had a few drinks, is becoming aggressive, and it turns into a threat of rape. Then what? If rape is a crime, shouldn’t catcalling be one too?
Police activity surrounding catcalls and other forms of street harassment is almost unheard of. Granted, there are far too many cases to be caught, but there is no effort to reduce these occurrences. And since the offenders aren’t stopped, they think their behavior is okay, and thus continue.
Making the moral decision not to target another person based on their appearance is up to each person as an individual. The enforcement starts in the home, by raising our sons and daughters (because yes, girls can harass boys too) to respect one another, even if that person is a complete stranger. Our society is beginning to understand that rape victims are never at fault, and while being catcalled is not on an equal plane with rape, we must understand that many people who are catcalled are just trying to go about their daily lives; they are never “asking for it” as well. Even if said catcall victim was working an outfit, and strutting down the block like they own it, that still does not give anyone the right to gaze excessively or give feedback on their appearance, because they weren’t asking for it.
Unless there is a concerted effort to address this issue and eliminate such obscene conduct, this seemingly underlying problem could go on forever. If more people realize that this is a daily nuisance many people have to overcome, and that it should be nonexistent , there will still be those “safe” areas that can be turned threatening by just a few utterances. If you are ever a victim of catcalls, just remember the best thing to do is ignore it, don’t make eye contact, and keep moving. The only thing those people are looking for is validation that their behavior is accepted, and that, is the last thing they need.
