Catcalling in School Must Stop
‘Catcalling’ is sexual harassment and it’s causing a toxic environment in the school and workplace.
A girl wearing a camisole and cardigan walks down the hall to a chorus of “nice t*ts!” and “hot damn” with whistles filling in between lewd comments. Scenes like this happen everyday in schools around the country, yet there are no programs to put an end to it.
In our health classes, you learn about sexual harassment, which is the making of unwanted sexual advances or obscene remarks in a social or professional place. The teacher tells you that it is bad, but doesn’t give any way to report or tell people not to do it. When you do try to report it, they blame you, or tell you that they “can’t do anything about it now.”
This problem in enforcement only contributes to the harmful attitude towards sexual harassment in schools. During the rush in the hallways between classes it is easy for someone to “accidentally” brush against someone’s chest or butt, or get away with a lewd comment or two. In schools as large as ours, it may be hard to patrol every hallway and punish every incident of sexual harassment, but even when a teacher is there, they turn a blind eye.
This toxic environment leads to the desensitization of the student body. Boys don’t even mean what they say, they just catcall because that is what they do. Not only are these harassment meaningless, people can’t even recognize that it’s bad.
On August 28th, Fox News discussed cat calling on their show, Outnumbered, a show with four women and one man. They unanimously said that catcalling was a compliment, though some of the women expressed hesitation. Kirsten Powers said that she thought it was sexist when she was younger, but now she thinks its okay. Kimberly Guilfoyle confessed that it is awkward when her young son is there, but that he is used to it. While they were discussing catcalling outside of schools, their discussion shows insight into the future we’re creating, a future where sexual harassment becomes so normalized preschoolers have accepted it as part of life.
The normalization of sexual harassment is something we all have to fight against in order to make a difference. If you know anyone who catcalls, question them. Make them realize for themselves that they are wrong. Don’t attack them, just plant the seed of doubt, it will grow and kill any urge to catcall. Don’t let yourself become complacent, stand up to sexual harassment and fight back.
Amanda Ghiloni is a senior at West Potomac. It's her fourth year on The Wire. She enjoys doing graphic design for the print issues and helping teach the...
Sabrina • Aug 5, 2016 at 8:02 PM
Patrick,
I personally am currently in high school and I have experienced this several times. By no means are any of us trying to attack men, we just happen to not enjoy hearing sexual things bellowed to us on our way down the street. Also, ‘sweety’, as has already been pointed out, just because you didn’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t real. You have no idea what it’s like to be seen as a sexual object when you’re fourteen years old, stop pretending like you do.
Saskia Marie • Apr 15, 2016 at 6:55 PM
Patrick Rizzy,
It’s obvious that you don’t see it because this topic does not concern you. WOMEN do in fact notice this, staring at my chest when I run or walk is just as demeaning as catcalling and as for the “backing up her feminist agenda” it’s actually just pointing out what men should know and that is asking for the decent human respect, feminist or not it’s not wanting to feel like a sexual object during your school day by fellow peers.
Amanda Ghiloni • Mar 26, 2015 at 7:52 AM
Most girls feel ashamed when they are catcalled, which might show why they wouldn’t want their personal stories shared in the paper. On October 15th, pajama day, I personally had three different male students comment on the chest size. Do you think that I feel comfortable with that being in a public forum? In preparation of this article, I talked to many of my female friends, one of whom told me the story of how a guy bumped into her, pulled her shirt down, and looked down her bra. No one in the area noticed, but she felt extremely violated by a guy three years older than her sexually assaulting her. I’m sure you could understand why she might be uncomfortable with that being shared ( although she did tell me I could use it should need be), Just because you personally haven’t ever witnessed catcalling, sweetheart, which you might just not have noticed, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist at the school.
Patrick Rizzi • Mar 19, 2015 at 5:20 PM
I find this article a desperate attempt to back up your feminist agenda with scenarios that simply do not occur in day to day life. Never in my life have I seen catcalling occur at West Potomac, which is most likely why you supply no legitimate examples in your article (besides the hypothetical “chorus” of remarks). I’m afraid the entire basis of your article is hogwash. Also what are you trying to say would solve this. Programs? What does that even mean. Sorry sweety but if you want to attack men I suggest you try a bit harder next time.