PRESS RELEASE: Street Harassment Against Women Continues To Rise Rapidly

There have been several incidents in the last year where women were attacked by men, particularly those who have felt “disrespected” when the woman has avoided them for good reasons.

This behaviour feels unsafe, and it is becoming a nuisance. Some of the women were stalked, harassed, abused, or physically assaulted, even being injured.

However it happens, the theme is always the same. We recently received several real-life incidents from an abstract art painter, Julie J, who says:

“Just the other day at Woolworths downtown, I witnessed a grown man who looked close to his 40s being held down by someone because this person,

who appeared to be yelling, and kept saying that he was deaf in both ears, had tapped a woman hard on her face when she mistakenly walked into him.

She was in shock that this had happened because his reaction to physically touching her on the face was not acceptable.

I could see that he did not have the sense to apologize to her for what he had done even if it was a reflex”.

Julie J tells us that even in the usually friendly setting of a coffee shop, she has encountered someone else with disturbing behaviour.

“When I visit different coffee shops to write reviews, it’s customary to greet anyone in the lounge area with a friendly “hi, how are you?”.

In Southeast Asia, this gesture reflects common courtesy, emphasizing hospitality and recognizing others who are also waiting for their coffee.

However, one day last September when I said “hello,” a person suddenly jumped up and began to follow me.

He appeared to be seeking attention, which felt very unsettling.

Since that incident, I have chosen to keep my distance, as I wonder if he may be dealing with severe cognitive issues.

Strangely, every time I’ve walked by wearing my large headphones, he appears to be either speaking directly at me or shouting something—I’m not entirely sure. Without my reading glasses, everything looks a bit blurry up close.

If this behavior goes unaddressed, it might lead him to believe that what he did next is acceptable” says Julie J.

The problem is not just confined to coffee shops though. Unwanted behaviour towards females persists even outside, with witnesses. Julie J continues:

“I went to where they serve good Indonesian food and as I crossed the road towards Town Hall station, I felt a hard tap on my arm and this person from the coffee shop over the last several months was gesturing that he finally got my attention.

He then turned around and walked away, showing me his middle finger.

Indeed, some of the “bros” on the street, smirked as if it were his birthright to act the way he did.

Rather than causing a big scene, I began walking towards him to ask why he did it and whether he mistook me for someone else. I was determined that this situation needed to come to an end.

As I walked over to approach him, I paused to speak with a few guys in their late twenties who appeared quite concerned when I told them what he did.

I asked them to look out for me, explaining that he had struck my arm, though I was uncertain if he had mistaken me for someone else or what his motivations might have been.

They were certainly helpful, but not in a superhero way. They appeared to be focused on analyzing the situation, discussing his actions amongst themselves.

Additionally, from what I observed, they wouldn’t be my first choice in an emergency, as they were walking rather slowly.

I then decided to take matters into my own hands and ran after the person, even crossing the traffic as fast as I could.

When I got close to him, with my camera on as evidence of further assault, verbal harassment or showing me the middle finger, he gestured to push me away.

I asked him “hey, why did you hit my arm and show me the finger? Do I know you?”

He was mumbling, and all I could make out was, “I didn’t hit you; I just tapped you,” sounding very entitled to have behaved as he had done.

And conveniently also omitted the moment when he stuck his middle finger up at me, as if I had done something directly to him, even though I had never met him before other than that brief common courtesy gesture several months ago.

Seriously?” she asks.

The main reason for all of this seemed to be a case of unaddressed mental problems.

Julie J says:

“He also mentioned something regarding why I took his dumplings.

I’m unsure what he means by “dumplings,” and at this point, it seemed that he had confused me with someone else, was dealing with significant mental health issues, or possibly both.

He also noticed that I was recording his reaction as he swung his arm in an attempt to push me away in the middle of the road. In response, he grabbed my phone and threw it to the ground.

Fortunately, it didn’t break, and he hurriedly moved away from the second set of lights in front of Polo Ralph Lauren.

I’m quite sure many bystanders witnessed the incident, but they could tell that I was unharmed.”

She cautions:

“If you notice a man in his late 20s to early 30s wearing a black cloth wrapped around his head and dressed entirely in black often hanging out at the Piccadilly Center, it’s best to keep your distance.

Due to the lack of security guards in the building, you would be left to fend for yourself in unsafe situations like these on your own.”

Julie J is extremely concerned that instead of taking safety measures and educating young people about emotional intelligence, the council continues to allow mentally unstable people like these to go untreated yelling and talking to people to the point of assault.

The Australian way of life “she’ll be right” could sometimes lead to unforeseen catastrophic problems like the stabbing that took place in Westfield Bondi not long ago.

This is why any, or preferably all, incidents submitted to the media must be taken into consideration as people are giving the authorities feedback on public safety precautions.

And most importantly, it’s best to guide people on self-care and how to address personal issues appropriately.

It’s often incorrect to assume that someone will engage in conversation, particularly when it’s clear they are wearing large headphones.

Mostly, people who wear headphones in public do not want to be disturbed by others around them. It is also considered an assault to take someone’s phone and slam it on the floor instead of apologizing for verbally harassing them when they do not want to engage in conversation because they feel unsafe..

Besides, is rude to tap someone hard just so they would acknowledge that you exist whilst other immature men see you as their hero.

In this situation, all Julie J said was “Hello,” yet he interpreted it in a way that no one else seems to grasp.

She concludes with this thought:

“Perhaps here, when a woman says hello, it might be perceived as a flirtatious invitation, but in Southeast Asia, we are simply being courteous.

This could explain why we are often recognized for our exceptional hospitality.

However, we also accept responsibility for how we respond to any given situation.

Personally, I have training in self-defense, so I will never initiate physical violence.

And if I were to be struck, which thankfully did not happen, I would ensure that the other person ends up in the hospital” concludes abstract art painter Julie J.