WHY? The question that many woman seem to come across when witnesseing many of episodes of being stalked, followed, hurassed, and gawked at that MANY (not all) men do not experience. Almost every woman has witnessed one of the following that I have listed. These kinds of situations can happen anywhere and is very popular in crowded, busy places like NY. In many populated places like New York it can be extremely uncomfortable for women because of the fact that these male workers are always commenting on their looks and chasing them, stalking them, and gawking at them. It is not uncommon for these things to occur and it's often normalized. Many women grow accustom to these comments and reply back with a thank you and others expect it and ignore it. Another thing that was interesting was how women do not say anything to strangers, while men feel comfortable with addressing these women even though they don't know them. That illustrates that women are not a threat why? because the females are rarely going to harm the males they are more prone to be the mouse instead of the cat. I feel that women in a sense are trapped. If they react the same ways that these males do such as stalking, gawking, and hollering at them the males would only enjoy it. If they ignore it the problem still exists and the males see it as ok to do what they are doing. What should females do to stop this problem?
I remember being a victim of many of these episodes while walking the streets of NY. I have been stalked, harassed, and gawked at. "wow", "whiste" " heeelllo beautiful" or "oww" men as old as their 30s and late 40's would say as I passed by. What could I do except ignore these men or simply thank them...but why thank them? Thank them for looking at me as a peice of meat or object? For staring at my body in an indecent manner? Did those comments help boast my self esteem? NO. Their comments were obviously offensive. Why do they have to make these comments especially when these comments don't phase me and I don't thank them either. I don't even bother to give these men dirty looks because their not worth the energy. The second incident happened when i was on the subway. From my preferial vision I saw a man staring at me as I sat patiently on the bus. At first, ignored his stares but his stares continued to be apparent through many stops. As I stepped of the subway I ran into this man again. I saw him at the same stop as me staring at me and not going or doing anything. I saw him come on the subway I had gotten on. I decided to get off the subway as soon as I got on and he wasn't aware that I had gotten off because he had only seen me get on. The last event was the worse event yet to happen to me. As I was walking with my family I lagged behind and these men were eyeing me. One of them had gotten really close because it was so crouded that he was able to smoothly touch me and he grabbed my arm and held on to it for 5 seconds. Those five seconds were the longest, stragest, scariest seconds of my life. I was shocked I stared at him and he stared back and says "beautiful". Before I could yell out to my family he released his grip and I sprinted away. why do men do this? because they can without fear. women are seen as vulrnable, harmless, and powerless. Men are seen as the preditors and females are usually the pray. When rappings occur it happens mostly by men not woman. And when men are raped they are raped by men and thefore men are the problem. Women may hit, scream, kick, throw, scratch, bite, slap, and push but they do not rape men.
Many women have also experienced many of these assualts not only on the streets but at work . It takes them a long time to report it because they don't reaize that its happening and its not acceptable. It seems really strange for these girls not to realize that these men at the workplace don't have the authority to touch them. If they can't be handled like that with a boyfriend what makes sexual assualt okay coming from a complete stranger? Of course it felt wrong to them, but the problem is even though people knew about the incident that didn't change anything. The girls who were sexually assaulted knew it was wrong but the fact that no one spoke up when they knew what was going on only encouraged the girls to behave just as everyone else did and that is to ignore it. When people see sexual assualt they do not want to get involved. There are many cases where people see that sexual assualt is going on and do nothing about it to stop it... they just watch. Take for example the rape that occured at the UA campus at subway. People were too scared to rescue her from the rapist and the rapist was able to do some damage before she could get away. People need to react fast because the slower they respond the more harm that is resulting to these girls. These people who just watched sexual assualt happen are guilty of NOT getting involved. This victim's fate was in their hands because they could have prevented further damage if they only reported the incident as soon as they knew about it!
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