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Catcalling

A group of people on a bus with concerned expressions on their faces.
A group of people on a bus with concerned expressions on their faces.

You’re on the bus home from work. You see a young woman being catcalled and harassed by a man. He’s making inappropriate sexual comments and moving really close to her.

This is sexual harassment.

How could you help stop it?

Say something (icon)

Say something

You could say something to the person being abusive, like ‘That isn’t appropriate'. Or you could be more direct by saying it’s unacceptable and tell them to stop. Even using your body language to show you don’t approve of their behaviour can help stop it.

Tell someone symbol

Tell someone

You could tell the bus driver the behaviour you’ve witnessed and ask them to report it or tell the abuser to get off the bus.

Offer support (icon)

Offer support

You could give support to the victim and to other passengers who are already intervening. You could ask if the victim is OK, you could capture what’s happening on your phone or you could offer to help report it.

Provide a diversion (icon)

Provide a diversion

You could strike up conversation with the victim to allow you to move in between her and the abuser. You could ask her where the next stop is or pretend you know her.

Explore another scenario

Explore the scenarios below to see how you could put these ways to intervene safely into practice.

Two men and three woman are in a kitchen diner. They have expressions of concern and disbelief on their faces in reaction to something they've witnessed.
Two men and three woman are in a kitchen diner. They have expressions of concern and disbelief on their faces in reaction to something they've witnessed.

Controlling and coercive behaviour

Your friend has become withdrawn since she met her new partner and you think he's controlling her.

A group of college students in a classroom with disgusted expressions on their faces.
A group of college students in a classroom with disgusted expressions on their faces.

Revenge porn

Your friend is uploading nudes of his ex-girlfriend on to social media to deliberately hurt and embarrass her.

A group of people in a bar with concerned expressions on their faces.
A group of people in a bar with concerned expressions on their faces.

Unwanted touching

You see a man groping a woman in a bar. She tries to move away and is clearly uncomfortable.

Reporting abuse

You have every right to report abuse to the police if you see or experience it. If you are a bystander, make sure you ask the victim what they want you to do.

More on reporting abuse