By Liz Belilovskaya

Every woman I know has at some point been sexually harassed in ways that exceed vulgar commentary. Guys can be such asses, pursuing women on the street, following them to their houses and attempting to touch them inappropriately. Some have been observed masturbating in public while others have offered payment in exchange for unsolicited sex. The police can’t offer real help catching these types of criminals, primarily because they simply have other things to take care of, like homicides and rapes. Recently, women have taken action to assist each other in capturing and publicizing the men who have engaged in this type of ungentlemanly behavior. Modern technology has given us smart mobile devices. These gadgets will play a major role in fighting these deviants in the days ahead.   

There was seemingly has no resolution to the problem of street sexual harassment, that is until Violet Kittappa decided to do something about it. An outraged Ms. Kittappa found a man attempting to grope her on a public train. Understandably she joined ihollaback.org, a site that encourages women to publicly document their accounts of harassment and abuse as part of a campaign to end these disgusting incidents by creating a catalogue of deviance.

Currently, a mobile app is in the works as part of an effort to spread awareness of such occurrences. Capturing the criminal’s face and posting it online would theoretically inform other women of who to watch out for and what places to avoid. The resistance movement is gaining momentum as more come forward and share their experiences.

I think we’re long overdue in organizing a resistance. I wish I had a way to capture the men who have made me feel uneasy and in endangered over the years. One such incident occurred in high school. I was outside reading a book before class and I noticed a shadow. When I looked up, a man in his mid-thirties stood there pants-less, grunting and moaning as he gave himself an eager morning stroke. He was kind enough to ask me if he can finish on me at which point I politely declined and hauled ass. Luckily a police car stood outside my high school and I reported the perv immediately.

Police reports were filed and statements were taken. I learned that other women in the area reported this guy as well, but I’m sure the same dude is currently running around pants less in New York looking for a nice lady to masturbate on since the police never found him. This case was not particularly dangerous. He was just some exposed jerk. However, another case that I experienced left me feeling truly in danger and the feeling unfortunately lingered for a while after the incident occurred.

In college, my friends and I decided to hang out at the beach. It was mid fall so the bathrooms were closed. Yet as nature calls it must be answered so a friend and I decided to take our chances and find a secluded place. As I stood watch, a man headed in our direction. I positioned myself between my friend and the approaching man, who tried to walk past me, so I stuck my hand out to block his way.

He offered me money to watch my friend go to the bathroom. Several hundred dollars were waved in front of my face as I forcefully held him back and yelled for help. He realized that someone might actually hear me and ran for it, but not before grabbing me inappropriately. In a moment of shock and confusion fueled by anger, my friend and I chased the guy for several blocks as I was on the phone with the police. We even caught him briefly but he wrestled his way free and disappeared into the bushes. My phone had no camera, hence no picture was ever taken and this man was never found.

Capturing the face of an assailant is now easier than it has ever been before. Most phones have cameras and email, and a profile can be created instantly. Women no longer have to wrack their brains trying to remember what color the assailant’s eyes or shoes were. Posting the images of assailants on an easily accessible web page can help women be aware of what others have experienced in an area. For neighborhood watch organizations, this simple creep cataloging can be especially helpful. Unfortunately, in certain lights and angles a mistaken identity could happen, causing a serious problem for the innocent. The captured image must be clear and absolutely unmistakable to be effective and valid. Otherwise this could create more problems than it solves.

There are obvious problems in capturing these kinds of criminals. Our already overcrowded jails would be taxed by such an influx of inmates. The cost of juries and trials would be prohibitive and due process may be extremely long and tedious.

I hope that awareness and the free flow of information regarding these assailants will create stronger communities, were people are inclined to watch out for one another. If people are aware of the dangers lurking in their areas then perhaps they will be more prepared to handle the unpleasantness coming their way. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When life gives you sexual street deviants, make a deviant catalogue. Take control of your life and your right to live free from harassment.

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