A SNAPSHOT OF STREET HARASSMENT EXPERIENCES IN VICTORIA 

Street harassment remains a prevalent but rarely discussed issue in our society. Its impacts are frequently minimised despite often being a precursor to more harmful acts and generally limiting many people’s freedom of movement. The advent of COVID-19 has brought this issue to light in a new way as incidents of racialised harassment have come to the forefront of public discourse. 

It's Not A Compliment launched the first survey of its kind in Victoria to investigate the impacts of race, sexuality, gender identity, disability, and housing on experiences of street harassment and their aftermath. 

The statistics paint a stark picture of street harassment in Victoria, with 86.7% of respondents having experienced street harassment - 34.4% of which had their first experience before they were 12. Of the minority who sought justice following an incident of harassment, 91.5% reported being dissatisfied with the outcome. 

If one thing is clear from these results, it’s that more work needs to be done if we are to ever achieve truly safer streets for all, including:

1. Establishing a legal definition of street harassment

2. Launching a funded state-wide survey that encompasses a broader, representative population sample 

3. Introducing bystander intervention trainings in local councils

4. Focusing on targeting communities that were underrepresented in this survey for further research into impacts of street harassment