Catcalling is verbal harassment that can cause damage to self-esteem, discomfort, anxious symptoms and a sense of vulnerability in those who suffer it. In the collective imagination, for a long time it was considered something light and harmless. An Italian research team – made up of experts from the Universities of Bologna and Messina and the CNR-ISTC – created a virtual reality experiment that allowed 36 boys to “enter” the body of a girl and experience first-hand verbal harassment on the street with the aim of demonstrating how emotionally impactful it can actually be.
We grew up in a society where catcalling was often represented as something normal and in some ways “nice”. In films, TV series, romantic comedies, a man’s whistle or comment towards a woman was portrayed as a gallant gesture, a little clumsy at most, but still harmless. The reality is very different. Behind what for decades has been normalized as a compliment, lies a form of verbal harassment, capable of generating strong discomfort, feelings of fear and profoundly influencing the way in which a person experiences public space.
What is catcalling
Catcalling is a set of verbal or gestural behaviors aimed at a person (often a woman) in public space, with a sexual or otherwise suggestive connotation. It results in catcalls, comments about the body, jokes, explicit invitations, noises or unwanted approaches. Its main characteristic is clear: it is not requested, it is not consensual and it invades the freedom of others. Those who practice it, however, do not perceive it as harassment but as a compliment or a joke. The psychological effects it generates tell another story. In Italy there is not yet a law that frames catcalling as a specific crime: reference is often made to the more generic article 660 of the Penal Code which concerns harassment or disturbance to people and sometimes it is included within persecutory acts such as stalking (especially if it is repeated over time).
Why do some men catcall?
Catcalling almost never arises with the intent to hurt or traumatize the victim. Most people who engage in this type of behavior do not think they are committing actual harassment; on the contrary, he interprets it as an act of courtship, a way to express sexual liking or desire and a banal attempt to attract attention. That is, it is seen as a compliment and many even hope for a positive or pleased reaction (such as a smile or a joke). The central problem is that male desire is placed at the center, while women’s consent and well-being are taken for granted. Subjective intentions do not cancel the psychological effects of such attitudes, observable in the victims: for those who suffer it it is often an invasive, inappropriate and anxiety-provoking act.
The motivations behind catcalling are different. Although the studies are few, some recurring traits have been found among those who implement it:
- Hostile sexism: having openly denigrating positions towards the female gender.
- Benevolent sexism: supporting ideas that seem positive but place women in a subordinate position.
- Social dominance orientation: the belief that society is structured on natural hierarchies in which some groups (in this case men) have a superior or dominant role compared to others. In this sense, catcalling becomes an implicit form of affirmation of one’s role and strengthening of male power in the public space.
- “Hyper-performed” masculinity: studies observe that those who practice catcalling repeatedly perceive themselves as “very masculine”, value virility and believe that expressing sexual desire is an identity trait of men.
Furthermore, some research places emphasis on the so-called wolf-pack behaviour (literally “wolf pack behavior”): group dynamic whereby men catcall more often in the presence of other men, feeling legitimized and less responsible; it is an act aimed at strengthening the bond between group members and demonstrating one’s virility. Sort of trying to appear like the alpha male.
The psychological repercussions
Being catcalled is never neutral, people who experience it often report:
- Anxiety and fear, especially when it occurs in isolated places and at certain times;
- Discomfort and sense of vulnerability;
- Hyper-vigilance, i.e. the tendency to always look around and foresee possible risk situations;
- Shame and guilt, as if one’s body was the cause of what happened;
- Reduction of personal freedom, such as wanting to avoid certain streets, changing clothing style or limiting travel.
Furthermore, in the long term it can really affect self-esteem and the perception of safety in public space. It is not a nuisance, but a full-fledged nuisance that affects psychological well-being and everyday life.
The experiment of the University of Bologna
To make the impact of catcalling tangible, some researchers from the University of Bologna together with colleagues from the University of Messina and the CNR-ISTC (Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies), have designed an innovative experiment: using virtual reality to make men empathize with a girl who is the victim of verbal harassment on the street.
Thus, 36 young adults were immersed in a virtual scenario in which they took on the appearance of a woman via an avatar. First they looked at themselves in the mirror getting ready to go to a party, then they found themselves in a subway station. In some cases they were asked neutral phrases such as “What time is it?”, “What time does the next subway arrive?”; in other cases typical catcalling phrases were uttered such as “Where are you going all alone?”, “Will you smile at me?”, “Hey beautiful, what’s your hurry?”.
The results were surprising and very clear:
- men felt disgust and anger when faced with verbal harassment;
- many have experienced fear and vulnerability, realizing how a phrase, said in the wrong context, can be threatening. In fact, only one participant reacted aggressively to the male avatar. The others, having identified themselves with the role of a woman, preferred to leave considering it risky to stay;
- some admitted that, experiencing the situation from the inside, they understood how intrusive what they had previously considered only as jokes was.
One of the most important conclusions of the research team is that virtual reality can be a powerful tool for education, awareness and empathy, capable of making people understand, on an emotional and not just rational level, how much catcalling can destabilize the psychological well-being of those who suffer it. Furthermore, this is a clear sign of how the lack of understanding of others is not a natural but a cultural fact.
