the PDF.

STREET HARASSMENT
SURVEY
2012.
1.
Abstract
2.
Methodology, questionnaire flow & sample
3.
Results: Key findings & tables
i.
Incidence
ii.
Describing the most often / typical experience
iii.
Perceptions of street harassment
According to the results of online survey conducted by Hollaback Croatia, 99% of women experienced
some form of street harassment in their lifetime, and 1 in 2 women will experience it by the age of 18.
Calling pet names, leering, honking, comments about the appearance are most pervasive & most often
forms of harassment. However, other types such as flashing, groping or following are also very common
types, and 1 in 3 of women have been physically attacked.
Experience of harassment leaves most women with negative emotions, no or little help from bystanders
and altered behavior such as avoidance of being alone after dark or avoidance of eye contact.

Online survey

Survey’s duration: about 15 minutes

Interviews were collected in the period of January – June 2012

Invitations were sent via civil organizations' networks, social networks and
word of mouth

500 interviews completed, among them 89% female
1.
Demographics
2.
Experience of interactions from strangers in public places
3.
4.
1.
Frequency, by type of experience
2.
Age when it happened, by type of experience
Describing the experience
1.
Choosing one type of experience which happened most often
2.
Describing the most often / typical experience:
1.
Emotions & reactions
2.
Sex & age of the harasser, with whom the harasser has been, with whom the respondents has been
3.
Where it happened
4.
Bystanders’ reactions
Additional questions
1.
Changed behavior as a consequence of experiencing street harassment?
2.
Perception of characteristics which make a person more likely to be harassed
3.
Perception of situations in public spaces as more / less threatening
Sex
89
100
50
11
0
Female
Male
Age
13-18
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual
1
19-24
25-29
Gay
24
30-44
6
1
20
5
2
Bisexual
31
45-59
60-74
Lesbian
37
83
40
60
7
Queer
2
Other
1
20
40
60
80
100
Education (highest completed level)
30
54
60
70
35
40
20
11
Zagreb & surrounding
1
Other
Occupation status
60
48
41
40
20
22
6
72
8
2
Centre of the county
Town, but not center of the county
Village
About 70 – 90% of women have experienced some form of verbal encounter from a
stranger in public space at least once in their lifetime, ranging from swearing (71%) to
comments about their appearance (93%).

 70%
of women report having been flashed,
 41 – 55% of women report having seen public masturbation, having been groped or
followed,
 32% of women report physical attack at least once in their lifetime.
According to the feelings stated by women, such encounters are unwanted, and thus
represent harassment:
Most women react with negative emotions such as annoyance, helplessness or fear, and
only 2% (8 women out of 429) state only positive emotions.
Many women alter their behavior as a consequence of experiencing street harassment,
i.e. half of the sample mention to avoid eye contact or crossing the street on a regular
basis.
One in two women will experience some form of street harassment by the age of 18.
Type of experience
Happened at least once in the lifetime, %
WOMEN, N=446
MEN, N=54
Smiled or talked to you in a way which made you feel uncomfortable
77
67
Whistled at you
92
31
Called you a pet name (i.e. "sweetie" "honey")
91
15
Honked at you
90
22
Tried to get your phone number, a date, or your attention
82
24
Made a comment about your appearance
93
56
Made kissing noises at you
68
19
Leered at you/stared excessively
94
67
Made a sexist comment about you
73
15
Made a racist comment about you
26
17
Made a homophobic comment about you
18
24
Swore at you/flipped you off
71
78
Made a vulgar gesture
68
59
Made a sexually explicit comment to you
80
19
Flashed or mooned you
70
11
Masturbated in front of you
41
7
Followed you
53
24
Purposely blocked your path
52
43
Touched or grabbed you in a sexual way
55
20
Assaulted you
32
67
Please check off the ways that any stranger has interacted with you in public (street, park, public transportation, store, restaurant, etc)
*Happened at least once
in the lifetime, %
N=446
*Happened more than
once in the lifetime, %
N=446
**Most often type, %
N=429
Leered at you/stared excessively
94
93
13
Called you a pet name (i.e. "sweetie" "honey")
91
86
11
Honked at you
90
87
11
Made a comment about your appearance
Smiled or talked to you in a way which made you feel
uncomfortable
Whistled at you
93
89
10
77
70
9
92
88
9
Touched or grabbed you in a sexual way
Tried to get your phone number, a date, or your
attention
Made a sexist comment about you
55
31
7
82
72
6
73
65
3
Made a sexually explicit comment to you
80
68
3
Followed you
53
22
3
Flashed or mooned you
70
48
3
Swore at you/flipped you off
71
55
2
Masturbated in front of you
41
17
2
Made a homophobic comment about you
18
15
2
Purposely blocked your path
52
30
1
Assaulted you (physical assault)
32
13
1
Made a racist comment about you
26
18
0
Made a vulgar gesture
68
53
0
Type of experience,
ordered by most often type
Made kissing noises at you
68
59
0
*Please check off the ways that any stranger has interacted with you in public (street, park, public transportation, store, restaurant, etc)
**Please chose one that has happened to you most often
Type of most often experience (only those with
more than 30 respondents are shown)
% of women reporting
*NEGATIVE emotions
% of women reporting
*NEUTRAL emotions
% of women reporting
*POSITIVE emotions
Smiled or talked to you in a way which made you feel
uncomfortable, N=40
98
0
0
Whistled at you , N=38
90
18
21
Called you a pet name (i.e. "sweetie" "honey"), N=50
92
20
6
Honked at you, N=47
81
26
30
Made a comment about your appearance, N=46
89
15
15
Leered at you/stared excessively, N=57
93
12
14
Touched or grabbed you in a sexual way, N=31
100
0
0
TOTAL (any type of experience), N=429
92
12
12
Respondents could indicate more than one emotion.
2% of women (N=8) stated only positive emotions.
How has this experience initiated by a stranger made you feel? You can mark more than one emotion.
*Negative emotions: Annoyed, Ashamed /Guilty, Insulted, Scared, Angry, Helpless, Confused, Sad, Awkard, Dirty, Shocked, Humiliated, Disgusted;
Neutral emotions: Neutral, I felt sorry for them, Other; Positive emotions: Flattered, Grateful, Happy, Funny
How did it make you feel?, %
57
Annnoyed
Angry
Helpless
Insulted
Scared
Confused
Ashamed / guilty
Sad
Neutral
Flattered
Awkward
Happy
Disgusted
Funny
Humiliated
I felt sorry for them
Shocked
Dirty
Grategul
46
36
36
33
29
29
17
12
11
2
1
1
0,5
0,5
0,5
0,2
0,2
0,2
0
20
40
60
80
How has this experience initiated by a stranger made you feel? You can mark more than one emotion.
Never
Rarely/few times
Cross the street or take another route
Avoid making eye contact
Avoid specific neighborhoods or areas
Talk on a cell phone
Constantly assess your surroundings
Avoid being alone
Purposely wear clothes you think will attract less attention
Regularly (monthly or weekly) & Always
6
41
12
49
34
50
17
45
23
35
44
30
44
27
36
25
40
45
22
33
20
Pretend to have a significant other
46
33
16
Scowl
47
34
16
Avoid being out at night/after dark
48
Wear an ipod/headphones
Exercise at a gym instead of outside
Carry a whistle, eye-spray or else for self-defense
Take a dog with you
Take self defense
Gain weight
36
55
13
17
68
23
15
72
12
14
76
9
9
86
8
6 2
91
32
Change jobs because of harassers in the area/commute
91
2
Move to another neighborhood
93
2
Have you done/do you do any of the following because of actual or feared interactions with strangers in public?
0-12
13-18
19-29
Smiled/talked to you in a way which made you feel uncomfortable
29
Whistled at you
5
Called you a pet name (ie "sweetie" "honey")
7
Honked at you
3
75
Made kissing noises at you
Leered at you/stared excessively
67
14
6
15
73
83
56
69
85
50
46
41
17
17
65
23
14
53
64
Made a vulgar gesture
11
55
64
56
16
13
78
17
Flashed or mooned you
17
53
48
7
Masturbated in front of you
15
55
47
6
Followed you
5
Purposely blocked your path
9
49
56
53
Touched or grabbed you in a sexual way
14
54
Assaulted you
13
52
20
19
73
43
6
40
20
12
67
Swore at you/flipped you off
Made a sexually explicit comment to you
15
80
12
Made a racist comment about you
17
86
16
7
12
83
53
7
10
78
61
Made a sexist comment about you
Made a homophobic comment about you
54
66
Tried to get your phone number, a date, or your attention 1
Made a comment about your appearance
30+
6
55
8
57
48
60
80
9
6
100
120
140
160
180
200
How old were you when this happened? Check all age intervals when it happened.

Most women react passively to harassment, ignoring the situation or hurrying
away.

Bystanders are also passive: In half of the cases they didn’t react although
respondents assume that they have noticed the harassment.

Harassment typically occurs on the street, when the person is alone and is done by
men, either alone or with male peers.
How did you react?, %
67
Ignored
53
Hurried to get away
17
15
11
Watched / leered angrily
Said to stop it and leave me alone
Smiled
8
7
6
Attacked the harasser verbally
Shouted
Showed them the middlefinger
4
3
2
2
1
1
1
Laughed
Asked for help from bystanders
Assaulted the harasser
Waved back
Tried to get out of the situation, e.g. by giving a false number
Reported or threatened to report the harasser
Gave them my phone number/arranged a date
0
20
40
60
80
How did you react? You can mark more than one response.
Sex of the harasser, %
With whom was the harasser?, %
94
100
60
40
20
0
50
4
2
Female
Other
Please estimate sex of the stranger who has interacted with you.
Age of the harasser, %
0-12
73
17
28
19
2
20
16
Friends (both sexes)
23
30-44
60-74
In group In group
(mixed sex) (opposite
sex)
Has the stranger been alone or in group?
Female friend
19-24
45-59
Alone
0,5
Alone
10
25-29
5
With whom were you?, %
1
13-18
39
In group
(same sex)
0
Male
54
40
60
Please estimate age of the stranger who has interacted with you.
4
Family
1
Male friend/partner
2
Female partner
1
Other
3
0
20
40
60
80 100
With whom have you been at that moment?
Were bystanders present?, %
Yes
17
No
83
Bystanders’ reaction, %
Noticed what hapenned but
didn't react
51
Didn't notice anything
40
Interfered (e.g. asked if I need
help, scared the harasser away)
2
Called the police/officials
0,3
Other
7
0
20
40
60
80
100
If other people were present, how did they react?
Place where it happened, %
Street
57
Public transport
17
School/college and surrounding
15
Station/stop of public transport
7
Club
6
Park
6
Other
5
0
20
40
60
80
100
Where did it happen?

Most threatening situations to women are when they are alone, in a
deserted/unfamilar area, when it’s dark and when the person is of opposite sex.

Respondents are aware that women, but also LGBTIQ people are the likely
victims of street harassment:

More than two thirds of the sample believe that female sex, open expression of
homosexuality or non compliance with traditional gender norms make the person more likely
to be harassed.
Ordered by mean (women)
WOMEN, N=446
Mean:
Scale of
1 (not threatening at all)
to
7 (most threatening)
MEN, N=54
Mean:
I'm in a deserted area
5,7
It’s dark out
5,2
I'm in an unfamiliar area
5,1
I'm alone
5,0
The person is of the opposite sex
4,8
The person is in a car and I'm not
4,5
The person is older than me
4,1
The person is larger than me
4,0
The person is around my age
3,5
I'm in a populated area
3,3
The person is younger than me
3,2
The person is my size or smaller
3,1
I'm in a familiar area
3,0
The person is of the same sex
2,5
It's daylight out
2,5
I'm with my significant other
2,3
2,7
I'm with several friends
2,0
1,8
ABOVE AVERAGE/NEUTRAL
POINT=4
4,4
3,9
4,0
Threatening situations
(for women)
AVERAGE / 4
3,9
2,0
2,7
2,9
3,2
2,8
BELOW AVERAGE/NEUTRAL
POINT=4
Less/not threatening
situations
(for women)
2,6
2,6
2,3
2,3
2,9
2,0
Please indicate on a scale of 1-7 what factors make those interactions with strangers nonthreatening to threatening.
Ordered by percentage (women)
WOMEN, N=446, %
MEN, N=54, %
Female sex
86
74
Public expression of homosexuality
Behavior or appearance not in line with sex (i.e. masculine
girl, feminized boy)
Attractive clothes
80
74
78
76
77
70
Attractive looks
71
54
Age (up to 30 years)
62
43
Flirting
26
22
Male sex
11
19
Race, ethnic minority
3
4
Any difference
2
2
Unconventionality, belonging to subculture
2
0
It’s because of the harasser, never because of the victim
1
0
Different looks (too attractive / not attractive)
1
2
Disability
0,4
0
When the person is alone, especially at night
0,2
2
Please indicate all characteristics which can make a person more likely to be a victim of street harassment.