What is Catcalling and What You Can Do About it

Catcalling is a type of street harassment which happens to people of all ages across the world. Luckily, this behavior is becoming more commonly recognized as unacceptable and even punishable by law.

Catcalling is an all-too-common form of day-to-day sexual street harassment. It often takes place in the form of whistling or whooping, and can include inappropriate and sexual comments or gestures. Catcalling is unwarranted sexual attention from strangers. Most often, catcalling is directed toward women and queer people, especially to transgender people. Cornell University reports a staggering eighty-five percent of women in the US experience catcalling before the age of seventeen. 

While there are exceptions, catcalling is overwhelmingly done by men who may claim that their comments are simply harmless compliments. But catcalling is uncomfortable, intimidating, creepy, and downright frightening. It is absolutely not okay. For some, experiencing catcalling can make them feel icky and uneasy. For others, catcalling can impact victims’ perceptions of safety in their communities. It can even contribute to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and decreased quality of sleep. Whether it happens in broad daylight or when walking home alone at night, objectification of your body is never warranted. It is not fair to be prone to harassment simply from stepping outside and living your life. 

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What is Catcalling? Common Examples

The most common example of catcalling is probably whistling, but there are many different types of catcalling. It may include yelling, car honking, sexual gestures, invasive questions, pet names, staring, and more. Catcalling is common in both big cities and small towns. It often happens on public transportation, when walking down the street, shopping for groceries, while working out, or even when sitting outside at a cafe. 

This type of street harassment is often frightening because it has the potential to worsen quickly. Catcalling unfortunately can even lead to stalking, groping, flashing and even sexual assault and physical harm.

Oftentimes, catcalling may start out seemingly harmless. A man might approach you and ask for your name or how your day is going. These situations can be hard to navigate because it is well within your rights to not speak to a stranger with whom you are not interested in, but saying a simple “no thank you” can escalate the situation quickly if you are dealing with a person who feels entitled to your attention. 

What Can We do About Catcalling?

Firstly, we can respond to catcalling in the moment in an attempt to deescalate the situation.

1. Ignore the catcalling. This may be the best option if you are in a situation in which it does not feel safe or productive to respond. For example, if the catcaller makes a crude comment but stays back and does not seem to be a physical threat, it is probably best to ignore them. Responding may worsen the situation if they decide to follow you.
2. Respond loudly and firmly, if you feel safe to do so. For example, if you are in a crowded space and somebody is following you and making incessant comments, you can loudly say “leave me alone” so that they know you are not interested, and the attention is on them so they might feel embarrassed and retreat. If you feel comfortable, you can try and intimidate the catcaller by making eye contact and using strong body language rather than shying away. As a bystander, responding to catcalling of others is something you can also do if you feel safe enough to get involved. If you see somebody who looks like they feel uncomfortable on the train or on the streets, consider telling the harasser to leave them alone, and help the victim get out of the situation. This is especially effective as a man. 
3. Walk away. Typically, catcalling occurs when we are on the move anyway. In this case, don’t hang around to argue. Always put your safety first and get out of the situation.
4. Create a distraction. If you are not the one being harassed, you may consider stepping in as a bystander in order to help somebody. If you feel it is safe to do so, you can consider approaching the victim and acting as if you know them. Say something like “I’ve been looking all over for you” or “hey, how are you? It’s been so long.” Use the moment of confusion to divert the person away from their harassers and get them to a safe space.
5. In extreme cases, call the police. If there is a person or group of people who refuse to leave you alone, you may want to consider calling the cops on them. Sometimes, this is the best way to go. As a bystander, you may also want to call the police if you see a catcalling situation that looks like it is escalating and becoming dangerous. 
6. Most importantly, remember catcalling is never your fault. Just like all forms of sexual harassment and abuse, make sure not to blame yourself for the actions of others. Your clothing, body, words and actions will never make harassing and objectifying you fair or valid. 

In the long term, there are several ways we can mitigate catcalling and cultivate a more welcoming society. 

1. Report catcalling to employers. If you happen to get harassed by uniformed employees outside a restaurant, grocery store, or work site, for example, you can report the incident to the employer. Consider sending an email, making a phone call or even writing a letter.
2. Sign petitions, protest and vote to criminalize catcalling. Across the US, there are already some state laws that criminalize certain types of catcalling. However, there is still a lot of work to be done. In order to create safer and happier communities, we need to vote for people who care about sexual harassment, and we need to continue fighting for the equal rights of women and LGBTQIA+ individuals.  

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