Is wolf-whistling a sex crime?

I am amazed that this sort of thing is still happening in 2015. The men involved – and, as I understand it, it was more than one man ogling a solitary woman – are really unreconstructed Neanderthals.

Actually absent I'd also apply that description to those who have also criticised the young woman

Apparently "builders live in fear of being accused of sexual harassment if they wolf whistle"? How awful for them - but hadn't it crossed their minds that there's a way of avoiding all this anxiety - stop wolf whistling!

Iam64's recollections regarding the routine encounters that her daughters experienced - ".... the amount of horn pipping, chaps hanging out of windows making the universal sign for masturbation. The girls reassured him [their dad] that they had got used to it, and to ignore it" - surely suggests that a lot of this sort of male behaviour has very little to do with complimenting a woman and a lot to do with the inflated sense of their own importance that some men have - a presumption that a woman should care what their opinion is of her.

I, and I'm sure some other women, have always disliked this type of male behaviour - long before the, in my opinion, rather silly phrase "political correctness" was ever thought of. This is about more women now saying that they are unwilling to continue to collude in their own sexual objectification.

I would also say that this is not a men v. women issue. Increasing numbers of men, particularly in the US, have supported a campaign against this sort of street harassment.

I suspect that young women these days are subject to a nastier kind of attention in the streets than we experienced. "Laddish" vulgar, porn-inspired behaviour has become more acceptable.
I offer the website Everyday Sexism as my evidence. There you can read thousands of first hand accounts and I urge you all to go there, read ask yourself would you like your granddaughter (if and when she should reach puberty) to be subjected to this.
The site should be called "Everyday sexual harassment and worse"

everydaysexism.com

I am really surprised that some people think the behaviour of those on the building site is OK.

* A group of men making sexual comments to a single women for a month.
* A least one action which was intimidating.
* Reported to the appropriate authorities
* They contact employers who gave warnings to those involved.
* It stopped.

Why support such Neanderthal behaviour while blaming the victim who had done nothing wrong but had, in fact, followed the correct route.

I can remember explaining to my son at 16 that even walking towards a women on her own with a large group of his friends could seem intimidating to a women in some circumstances - at night, in lonely places for instance, and to be aware of how others are made to feel by seemingly innocuous behaviour. I would have thought these men were very aware of how powerful their group behaviour would be. Indeed I imagine that is why they enjoyed doing it.

Eloethan and JessM great posts

Further to my post about not minding wolf whistles as a young teenager I did have other experiences that I found upsetting.

One was having to take my turn to buy mid morning snacks for the office. The cafe was a horrible place heaving with sweaty men all eating bacon sandwiches. I had to push my way through the crowd to the accompaniment of often lewd comments from the blokes.

I used to really dread going there but in those days there was no-one to talk to about it.

There will always be unreconstructed Neanderthals, doesn't matter what's done to educate them. That's the reality, no matter how much shouting from the rooftops is done.

(Quote) "I want to live in a democratic society but I don't ever want to be offended again,"

I'll carry on shouting from the rooftops rather than simply accepting disgusting behaviour

I thought the word Neanderthal summed it up well; however Neanderthals were probably a lot more civilised than we give them credit for. Perhaps sexist - I was going to say pigs but is that the wrong term? - would be more appropriate.

I think this type of behaviour has gone way beyond a wolf whistle as was reported in the headlines and I agree would seem to be on the increase. It may be because of the increase in online porn etc which is objectifying women - and men- which was not available years ago.

Your prerogative, but in the interim while we're waiting for things to possibly, maybe, perhaps change, we have to deal with the reality.

I don't propose to comment on the "wolf whistle" debate as I have never been whistled at. However my very first job was working as a stand in on a production line. I and another lad were the only males in a dept of 50 or so women -- we went through hell, and learn't a lot very quickly.

That's what I've been saying Pompa...sexist behaviour isn't confined to the male of the species.

I've heard about young men being teased when they go into a female work environment.

I can see they would be uncomfortable but, sorry pompa, it's not the same thing.

This is because of the 'double standard' when it comes to sexual behaviour and the fact that women do not very often sexually assault/rape men (I'm sure a few do).

By the way what did you learn very quickly?

Petallus... it wasn't teasing. Prob still isn't in some environments. These young lads have their backsides squeezed, their anatomy groped and fondled, and my DH says that some of the behaviour when trousers were taken down and genitals exposed was quite definitely an attack. Women in a pack can be very intimidating-gave you seen a hen party recently?

*have

That's right, it's not just confined to the male of the species. Females can be just as bad (I thought we were talking about harrassment here, not rape) and intimidating to a man or boy, as described in my earlier link.

Some behaviour in public seems to be coarser in general although I wonder if actual 'groping' in the workplace (for want of a better word), is on the decrease because that is more likely to be reported than brushed under the carpet and not dealt with.

Women doing it to men is still not nice though.
And can still affect a man's mental wellbeing.

What I cant understand is why she didnt change her route?
I know that she shouldnt have to, but as Katek says, you have to deal with the reality.
She did report it though to the company which was very good.

Katek I only once went to a hen party , a very middle aged affair in a posh hotel. Nevertheless it involved a certain amount of ritualised sexual humiliation of young waiters. It made me feel terribly uncomfortable.
Lewd public behaviour is not a given - it occurs within the framework of what is deemed acceptable within a social group (and the wider public arena).
I have no doubt that if you went to a brothel in Victorian London you could see vulgar behaviour - but this did not occur in the drawing rooms of the middle classes and wealthy - at least when "ladies" were present.
So saying "it was ever thus and ever will be" is not valid. Social norms change and it is up to the members of the social group to determine when they think change is needed and to do something about it. So if everyone shrugs and says "boys will be boys" then this kind of behaviour will continue and increase.

Because it's hard to stop this behaviour completely; because some women behave badly to some men in this way -bith points are completely irrelevant in discussing why this Young women should or should not put up with this behaviour. We live in the 21st century - well some of us do- and I cannot think of one reason why sexist behaviour like this ( or reverse examples) should be tolerated. And those of you going on about it being a compliment? The idea that a wolf whistle ( if indeed that were all it were) is a compliment? That you welcome that sort of validation? And finally, if you accept shouting out compliments, whistling etc as acceptable, have you never heard of the heart breaking abuse shouted out to disabled/ obese people? Just don't shout out - grow up

And well said Jess

(Quote) "I want to live in a democratic society but I don't ever want to be offended again,"

May I just ask where that quote came from Katek; you didn't attribute it.

There is a lot in the last few posts about this happening to men as well as women. If it does surely that is wrong too. When did we decide two wrongs make a right?

Newspapers seem to be incapable of getting and reporting full facts right at the beginning.

Some wolf whistles are compliments.
And women like to recieve wolf whistles as compliments.
Nothing to do with validation for lots of us.

Abuse is something quite different.

Is anyone saying two wrongs make a right? - I was questioning why this overt lewd behaviour from both sexes in public is on the increase.