One Feature On Your Phone Can Help You When You Feel Unsafe
Early in the month of October, the New York Times reported more than a dozen allegations of sexual harassment, assault or rape against film producer Harvey Weinstein. Though accusations of men abusing their power are nothing new, the revelations about Weinstein prompted other victims to come forward in unprecedented numbers publicly, sparking the #metoo movement and almost daily reports of the sexual misconduct of high-profile figures in film, comedy, journalism, politics and other industries. It has showed that abusers are being hold accountable for their actions by men being fired, projects being removed from film productions and more consequences. Women and girls are at higher risk of sexual assault, kidnapping, rape and other crimes. Its important to know how to keep yourself safe with the resources at hand. A Twitter user @j_slayyy discovered what can be consider effective. If you're ever in an unsafe situation and need to discreetly call the police, hit your IPhone's lock button(on the side) quickly 5 times and you'll get this screen below. This trick is also how EMS can get to your medical alert information if you set it up to allow that. This advance can be the new medical ID bracelet.
It has been the standard for women to be aware of their safety compared to their male counterparts. The commonly known ways to stay safe is to carry pepper spray and your phone with you at all times. Its at best to have at least 3 to 5 names as a speed dial in case of emergency. Avoid going out during the night alone. As women, alone at night, there is a valid fear of the dark. A study finds that 1 in 4 men don't think exposing themselves constitutes sexual harassment. Perhaps not the most surprising findings since it seems anywhere can be risk for one's safety day and night. Throughout history women are warned for their safety and to never travel alone. It may seem as inconvenience however effective to feel safe especially in unknown places. The fears of being harassed or harmed is reasonable with a history of being sexually harassed. Tools like aids for your phone give insight that nowhere can be determined as safe, this can be a precaution in case anyone feels threatened especially women. Merriam-Webster defines sexual harassment as "uninvited and unwelcome verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature especially by a person in authority toward a subordinate like an employee or student."
A national survey of U.S. adults conducted by Barna asked American adults to identify specific acts that they consider to be harassment. The answer differs based on gender, but Americans say that sexual harassment is most often about being touched or groped (women: 96%, men: 86%) or being forced to do something sexual (women: 91%, men: 83%). However, the list encompasses more than just these extremes, and includes someone touching themselves intentionally or masturbating (women: 89%, men: 76%), making sexual comments about someone’s looks or body (women: 86%, men: 70%) and sharing intimate photos or videos of someone without their permission (women: 85%, men: 71%). The list goes on (see chart below). In fact, three in 10 American adults (29%) tell Barna they have been sexually harassed. Women in this group report experiencing it almost three times more than men (42% vs 16%). Younger generations also report harassment at a higher rate: Millennials (31%) and Gen X (35%) are twice as likely as Elders (16%) to say they have been sexually harassed. A further 15 percent of all adults say they have witnessed sexual harassment, and almost one-quarter (23%) says someone they know well was sexually harassed. However, the majority of American adults (52%) says they have not encountered sexual harassment in any of these ways. Sexual harassment in general can occur at anytime day or night. Sexual harassment can happen when you're traveling short distances like taking out the trash outside your home or walking to the subway. Another reason the phone function above is useful is because It can feel like you could experience harassment such as on the street can daily. A 21-year-old, Sophie Sandberg who is student at New York University, behind her Instagram project titled “Catcalls of NYC.” Within "Catcall of NYC, she is attempting to combat street harassment. Growing up in New York City, Sophie Sandberg began experiencing street harassment when she was 15 years old. That experience lead Sandberg to ask her Instagram followers to send her messages about their experiences with catcalling, including letting her know where in the city the harassment took place. Sandberg goes to the location of the incident and writes the catcaller’s quote in big font, colorful chalk letters.
If you or anyone is being sexually harassed, its advised to let the police be notified. However, make sure you are in good contact when if tell the police of this case to avoid the case being dropped. This should be a reminder that violence against women is a men's issue and it's up to men to not violate women and vice versa.
Quote of the Day:
"Let's spread a positive message about beauty and diversity."-Halima Aden
