In 2022, 1 in 8 people aged 16 or older in the Netherlands reported experiencing sexually transgressive behavior in the past twelve months. Among young women, over half (52%) said they had been subjected to sexual harassment in the previous year. Sexual harassment is a widespread issue, one that has existed for as long as humans have walked the earth. But before we can solve it, we first need to understand the social systems that sustain it. Below are four key concepts that help uncover those systems, so that the next time Uncle Henk brings it up at the coffee table, you’ll have something meaningful to say.
#1: VICTIM BLAMING
Victim blaming occurs when the person who experienced harassment is told it’s their own fault. This happens frequently in nightlife settings, and the accusations come from all sides: bystanders, friends, even strangers. For example: “Why were you dressed like that? You were kind of asking for it.” These kinds of comments sustain the problem by shifting the responsibility away from the perpetrator and minimizing their actions. This creates a vicious cycle: the victim starts to internalize the blame, while the perpetrator feels emboldened to repeat the behavior, viewing it as normal.
Not only do bystanders and victims themselves often downplay the incident and shift the blame, perpetrators do this too. They justify their behavior by denying the harm or denying that there even was a victim. In criminology, these are recognized as two of the five “techniques of neutralization.” Denying the existence of a victim means putting the blame on the person who was harassed. This form of victim blaming is deeply rooted in social norms and gender roles. It often overlaps with slut shaming: criticizing women or girls for expressing their sexuality. Their behavior, attitude, or clothing is framed as provocative, supposedly inviting sexual attention. Some perpetrators even claim they were “being respectful” or that their actions would be appreciated by the woman. These justifications fall under denial of harm. By thinking this way, they erase the emotional and psychological impact their actions have on the person being harassed.
#2: MALE-ENTITLEMENT
Sexual harassment is closely tied to the performance of masculinity, especially in group settings. In such environments, men are often under pressure to prove themselves. These are power dynamics at work. A man might not consciously think, “I have the right to sexually harass someone,” but that belief can exist unconsciously. Male entitlement refers to the belief that men are inherently entitled to certain things like sex, simply because they are male. When they face rejection, it can provoke anger, because in their view, they were denied something they believed was theirs by default.
“I was walking through the park when a man yelled, ‘Hey girl, you look good!’ I replied, ‘That’s not necessary, thanks,’ and he screamed back, ‘You filthy whore.’”
— Report via www.intimideermijniet.nl | 21-04-2023
This privilege is fueled by the gender roles we present in society, in the media and in parenting. Men who are transitioning or in transition especially recognize this male privilege. They frequently talk about how, as women, they were taken less seriously and had to worry more about their safety. In the life of a (cisgender) man, these are, by and large, carefree topics.
#3: HETERONORMATIVITEIT
When we talk about heteronormativity, we’re referring to the social structures in which heterosexuality is seen as the standard, the norm. This doesn’t just concern heterosexual relationships, but the entire system that surrounds them. Traditional gender norms are rooted in a heterosexual worldview. The belief that there are two opposing genders, each with their own social role: man and woman. This framework stigmatizes people who don’t conform to those norms. There’s a direct connection between this and both sexual harassment and homophobia. Because the roots of violence against women and against LGBTQIA+ people are linked, it’s important that when speaking out against street harassment, we name and protect both groups.
“I dropped my girlfriend off at the hairdresser and gave her a kiss in the car. When she got out, a man walked by and shouted homophobic things at her, including that we rape children.” www.initmideermijniet.nl | 03-12-2023
#4: Intersectionality
Intersectionality is about intersectionality. A person has multiple aspects of identity on which that person is discriminated against or privileged. A person can be female and black. And lesbian. And a single mother. And also visually impaired. Got the picture? Then also add that she is rich, very rich. Suddenly the picture is different. Because someone who is wealthy occupies a completely different position in society than someone who is less wealthy, even if they otherwise lead exactly the same life. That, in a nutshell, is intersectionality. Complicated? Within the context of sexual harassment, for example, we see that bisexual women are most often harassed. Being female and bisexual creates the idea that these people are hypersexual and that this false idea is an invitation to sexual harassment.
For people who deal with discrimination and power imbalances in their everyday lives, intersectionality likely isn’t a difficult concept: they already experience it. It tends to be more complicated for those who occupy comfortable positions along these different axes. For them, the axes reinforce each other positively. You can think of it like the wind: you notice a headwind much more than a tailwind. In fact, when the wind is at your back, you might not even notice it’s there.
Have you experienced or witnessed street harassment? You can report it at our street harassment reporting center: www.intimideermijniet.nl. Thanks to this platform, we can collect insights on what’s happening, where, by whom, when, and how street harassment takes place.