“‘Come over here and leave your friend,'” Shaniece Lawrence, freshman biology major at Point Park has had her share of catcalling by males around Pittsburgh. Not just her, but Chloe Jakiela, freshman photojournalism major on the way to class from the University Center a male screams to her, “Show off what your mama gave ya!”
Catcalling and rape culture go hand-in-hand and has begun to surface now more than ever after a video titled 10 Hours of Walking as an NYC Woman went viral this past month. This two minute compliation video shows actress Shoshana Roberts walking through New York City for 10 hours. She is catcalled more than 100 times throughout the project.
Sexual harassment has been prevalent in the every day working society and on college campuses. According to the American College Health Association in 2013, “300,000 college woman, or over 5% of women enrolled in colleges and universities experience rape not including other forms of sexual assault.”
Men, generally do not experience catcalling. Zachary Brown, freshman cinema production major agrees that he has not been subjected to cat calling and women should not either. “Catcalling,” as Zachary puts it, “is a man’s desperate attempt at a booty call, if a girl doesn’t want it, leave.”
Catcalling woman makes them feel, “violated,” as Chloe said in her response to her experience. Though we cannot begin to reteach adults and teenagers about catcalling, according to Shaniece “we can always teach children what is right and what is wrong…they are more susceptible to learn and be better.” Catcalling doesn’t just affect woman and girls but it affects the community as a whole. We are together and as Matthew Salinger, freshman cinema major says in his response to males speaking out of lines to a woman, we must, as a community remember that, “Women are either mothers or daughter and you should treat them with the utmost respect.”