Catcalling Illegal In Some Instances
By Amy E. Feldman
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Is catcalling illegal?
A video made by a group called Hollaback went viral last month after it showed a woman being catcalled more than a hundred times on the streets of New York City over the course of a single day. And while reaction ranged from anger at the men on the street to anger at the video makers, one question remains: is catcalling illegal?
While the claim of sexual harassment doesn't apply on the street because sexual harassment lawsuits are employment related and happen in the context of your job, are there laws against catcalling on the street? The answer is, it depends.
Just as most thoughtful women will tell you that there is a difference between a stranger who intends a remark to be complimentary (if misguided) and one who gets aggressive or threatening, the nuance of the situation matters in determining if the behavior is illegal. Because while even insulting speech is generally legal, where a reasonable person would be in fear for her safety, where the catcalls are threatning or are a repeated pattern, or where catcalling is made in conjunction with a physical touching, there are criminal laws that prevent it.
But where the law doesn't prevent unwanted catcalling, the knowledge that every cellphone is also a video camera might.