Cookies

We use essential cookies to make our site work. We'd also like to set analytics cookies that help us make improvements by measuring how you use the site. These will be set only if you accept.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, see our cookies page.

Essential Cookies

Essential cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. For example, the selections you make here about which cookies to accept are stored in a cookie.

You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.

Analytics Cookies

We'd like to set Google Analytics cookies to help us improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. The cookies collect information in a way that does not directly identify you.

Third Party Cookies

Third party cookies are ones planted by other websites while using this site. This may occur (for example) where a Twitter or Facebook feed is embedded with a page. Selecting to turn these off will hide such content.

Skip to main content

Don't watch street harassment in silence - ask 'Are you Okay?'

By Ailsa Duckworth, Parish Clerk Droxford Village Community

Tuesday, 20 September 2022

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Droxford Village Community Contributor

VIEW ALL ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR

ARE YOU OKAY?

Street harassment is on the rise and is often not an isolated incident. We know the long-term impact can harm mental health and change people’s behaviour. Victims often feel guilty, ashamed, and blame themselves.

Witnessing street harassment and not safely intervening sends the message to those experiencing it that it’s okay and society normalises it. Ongoing acceptance of street harassment contributes to a toxic culture. We want to change this, but we need your help.

Today we are launching a campaign that targets bystanders (those who witness street harassment), be those Neighbourhood Watch members or not.

The campaign encourages those who see someone being harassed in public to ask the victim if they are okay when they feel safe doing so. Those three little words let them know that they stand by them and that street harassment is never okay.

‘This simple action is a delay technique and part of the 5Ds of bystander intervention developed by Right to Be. By asking, ‘Are you okay?’ we become active bystanders and send the message that harassment is not okay. There are further actions that people can take, but our campaign focuses on the simplest step everyone can take.’ Deborah Waller, Head of Communications and Digital, Neighbourhood Watch Network

Watch this short video, or learn more about what we mean by street harassment, what else can be done about it, and reporting and support for victims by visiting ourwatch.org.uk/streetharassment.

Visit ourwatch.org.uk/areyouokay to download all the resources you might need to support our campaign and share this message far and wide.

If you see it, ask it!

ourwatch.org.uk/streetharassment

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH NETWORK, Central Support Team

Contact Information

Ailsa Duckworth, Parish Clerk

  • 07720 092072

Find Droxford Village Community

Droxford Parish Council, PO Box 504, Droxford, Southampton, Hampshire, SO30 9GB

DIRECTIONS

Additional Information

Droxford website for the local community in Hampshire. Information for parish council, events.