Catcalling: Remedy For Verbal Sexual Harassment

Catcalling is a phenomenon that is unfortunately still all too present and particularly affects women on the open street. Sexually suggestive comments or whistles - often from strangers - are unpleasant. But catcalling also includes assaultive requests ("Smile!") or unwanted photos or videos of private parts (keyword: dick pics).

Among other things, such harassment can severely affect the self-esteem of those affected. But there are ways we can work together to combat catcalling.

To put an end to catcalling, we first need to understand what it is and how far-reaching its negative effects can be. Many people may not even be aware that their behaviour is perceived as harassing. Catcalling is rude and an unacceptable form of harassment. The blame always lies with the perpetrator, and never with the victim - no matter what clothes they wear or what gesture they make. 

Victims of catcalling often feel stressed and afraid in such situations. The humiliation, coupled with shame and embarrassment, hurts their self-esteem. Victims who have experienced catcalling several times restrict their freedom of movement out of self-protection. Not infrequently, behaviour in public is adapted to avoid such situations. However, this self-protection can hurt quality of life and social activities. Surely this cannot be the solution?

In the public perception, catcalling is often seen as a problem for women. But men also become victims, although (statistically speaking) not quite as often. The German Federal Ministry for Families, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth has conducted a study on this. It says that about 44 % of the women and 32 % of the men surveyed have already been sexually harassed. While women are often harassed in public and by strangers, men are most often harassed at work.

The Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony (KFN) conducted an online survey with 3,908 respondents in 2021. 40 % of the participants avoid places where they could be confronted with catcalling. 8% have even changed their style of dress. There is a need to raise awareness that verbal harassment of both men and women is intolerable.

Since 2017, the topic has attracted more interest on social media through the #MeToo movement. In the wake of the Weinstein scandal, activist Tarana Burke encouraged affected women to draw attention to their experiences of sexual harassment and assault. The hashtag has since been used millions of times and has triggered a broad debate in society.

If you find yourself in the immediate situation of being harassed, there are several ways to respond. One way is to ignore such harassment. This can work well for some, but for some, it can still be an unsatisfactory behaviour. It is important to know that your reaction is always okay - no matter how you react. Another way is to be assertive and let the other person know that this behaviour is inappropriate. In doing so, one should not get involved in any discussions and then turn away from the offender again. 

If the person continues to be pushy or if you feel threatened, please do not hesitate to ask passers-by for help or call the police. Even if you witness catcalling, you should have the courage to stand by the victim and intervene.

There are self-defence courses for women to be able to defend themselves better in emergencies and to strengthen their self-confidence. Talking to family and friends also provides emotional support. On social media, larger and larger groups of catcalling victims are joining together to share their stories and support each other. On Instagram, some cities have accounts that make catcalling visible and to which victims can turn. Example account for Vienna: @catcallsof.vie

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