Catcalling, What It Is and How to Stop It

By: Samantha Stenshorn

What is catcalling? Catcalling is a type of sexual harassment. Most of the time the girls that experience it. These girls are usually around the ages of 11 and 17, but it happens to older women as well. In most cases, they'll be walking down the street or even in school and someone will comment on something about them in a sexual manner. Whether that may be a sexist comment, a vulgar and explicit gesture, or touching in a forceful sexual way. This is a huge issue as it only plays into the over-sexualization of women. The people who do this use it as a power tactic. They want to show who's dominant. According to Radhika Sanghani of the Telegraph ("Catcalling happens to most women between the ages of 11 and 17"), 84% of women across 22 countries get catcalled. Whether it's on the street, in a store, or even at school, bystanders need to speak up and stop this, simply telling the person to stop can make a huge difference for the victim. Many girls that are catcalled don't want to go out because they don't want to deal with the harassment. But it's not only girls, but guys also get catcalled as well. And just like girls, people normally don't do anything about it. It's about time that we stand up and make a difference.