Street harassment. It feels unsafe, uncomfortable, and often leaves you feeling powerless. What drives someone to do this? It’s tempting to think: “That person is just a jerk.” But street harassment is more than that. It’s the result of deeply rooted societal norms, power structures, and psychological processes. Time to uncover what’s underneath.
Street harassment as a tool of power
Street harassment is rarely about attraction. It’s about power, control, and dominance. It’s about claiming space, demanding attention, affirming one’s status or identity, often at someone else’s expense. In that moment, the perpetrator is saying: “You belong to me. I get to decide how you feel, move, or even look.”
That sounds intense, and it is. Because when someone harasses another person, they temporarily take away that person’s autonomy. And that’s exactly where the core of the problem lies: the imbalance of power.
Why do people harass others?
The motivation behind street harassment is complex, but there are four key societal and psychological factors that contribute:
- Gender roles: Street harassment doesn’t come out of nowhere, it’s embedded in how we think about men, women, and power. Those who fall outside the traditional binary are harassed more frequently. Sexual harassment is essentially a way to display and enforce dominance.
- Media: What we see in media influences what we consider normal. Women and LGBTQIA+ people are often portrayed as objects of desire, reinforcing the idea that this kind of behavior is acceptable. At the same time, media can also be a powerful tool for change when it presents different narratives.
- Upbringing: A lack of sex education and attention to boundaries increases the likelihood of transgressive behavior. Without guidance, young people learn from the street, media, or peers what is (in)appropriate. Parents play an important role in teaching respect and reciprocity within relationships.
- Peer pressure: In group settings, especially among young people, belonging is key. Street harassment can be seen as a way to gain status in certain groups. It becomes a means to prove one’s “manhood.” Herd behavior also plays a role.
What drives perpetrators and who are they really?
As explained above, street harassment is about power. People often ask for a perpetrator profile. What does this person look like? Are there certain characteristics that give us insight into who they are? Profiling is always dangerous, as it risks racism, discrimination, and ethnic profiling.
All research on street harassment essentially says one thing: there is no typical perpetrator profile. We cannot link this behavior to someone’s appearance. However, there is one factor that can predict whether harassment is more likely to occur in certain environments: the presence of a macho culture. A macho culture is an environment where masculinity—specifically traditional masculinity with an exaggerated or even aggressive expression—is highly valued. This culture can manifest in show-off behavior, a drive to dominate, a need to appear independent, or worse: treating women as if they were invisible.