Us girls love it when old Nathaniel grabs your waist from behind and attempts to whine with you, like what he saw at Notting Hill Carnival. Honestly, it’s just Like a harmless game of Guess Who in the club – we love not knowing who’s behind us… we’re all for the mystery.
If you’re reading this and you realise this is even mildly sarcastic then you have taken one step towards being a morally decent human being. If you don’t then I suggest you take time reading this article.
The threat of unwanted attention when you’re out means that you have to be on the lookout, or at least have this at the back of your mind. It may mean that you can’t dance in a certain way as it may be seen as ‘provocative’ and just ‘asking for it’, effectively reducing people’s freedoms. No one should have to feel the need to act conservatively on their precious nights off just to avoid harassment. This goes for clothing in the same respect. The way someone chooses to dress is an expression of their personality, I think anyone who claims that this should be controlled is inhibiting other people’s sense of self and in effect, their confidence too. A night club is a place for free expression, liberation and release.
If she wants to move to you, you will know. If she wants to get with you she will most likely turn around and get with you. But a passing glance across the club probably just means that she is looking for a mate, or the bar…
Acting respectfully on a night out also does the club a massive favour: if people feel uncomfortable they will likely go home sooner, emptying the club out. (Please don’t waste the already minimal number of tickets in good club nights if you only intend to make other people uncomfortable). This means the DJ’s and event organisers hard work has gone to waste for no fault of their own. However, I know that there are certainly some establishments that make more effort in this respect than others. For example, The Island, in central Bristol makes an active effort to ensure that club-goers feel safe and secure by pasting posters in the bathroom.
Clubs are dark, intoxicated and loud places making it easier to approach new people. 79% women aged 18-24 reported that sexual harassment was the ‘norm’ on nights out. It is clear that people act in ways they wouldn’t’dream of doing on the street in broad daylight. We need to try hard to ensure that club culture is primarily associated with music and having fun, not a place that makes assault easier to carry out.