from Felix Richter, Statista.com
by Niall McCarthy
How many Americans have actually experienced street harassment?
Quite a lot as it turns out. It also turns out that women are most at risk by far. The issue has gained significant attention after Hollaback uploaded a video charting a lone woman’s 10 hour walk through New York City. Experiencing over 100 instances of verbal and sexual harassment, it went viral, receiving 5 million views within its first 24 hours on YouTube.
The general reaction was definitely one of disgust, though some attempted to downplay the severity of the unsolicited compliments and catcalls in the video. However, a study published in June confirms that something is terribly wrong on America’s streets. The national 2,000 person study found that 65 percent of women and 25 percent of men in the United States have experienced some form of harassment on the street.
When it comes to verbal harassment, 57 percent of women have experienced it, along with 18 percent of men. Most seriously, 41 percent of women have experienced physically aggressive harassment, along with 16 percent of men. Even though the viral video has ignited debate on street harassment, it’s just a small step to solving a much bigger problem.
This chart shows the prevalence of street harassment in the United States in 2014.
You will find more statistics at Statista
