When Women Say No: The Dangers of Street Harassment

Man puts woman in headlock, punches her for refusing number.

Put in Headlock, Punched in Chicago - A 21-year-old woman was attacked by a man after she refused to give him her number, The Root reported in December 2014. Denzel Rosson of Chicago reportedly harassed the woman on a metro train and followed her as she exited. Witnesses and police say the 24-year-old then "got the woman in a headlock, punched her in the face, and tried to steal her phone and purse before he ran away.” Rosson is facing assault and battery charges and being held on $200,000 bail. Keep reading to learn about street harassment encounters that made headlines and the organizations and individuals fighting to end street harassment worldwide. —By Patrice Peck(Photo: ABC 7, chicago)

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Put in Headlock, Punched in Chicago - A 21-year-old woman was attacked by a man after she refused to give him her number, The Root reported in December 2014. Denzel Rosson of Chicago reportedly harassed the woman on a metro train and followed her as she exited. Witnesses and police say the 24-year-old then "got the woman in a headlock, punched her in the face, and tried to steal her phone and purse before he ran away.” Rosson is facing assault and battery charges and being held on $200,000 bail. Keep reading to learn about street harassment encounters that made headlines and the organizations and individuals fighting to end street harassment worldwide. —By Patrice Peck(Photo: ABC 7, chicago)

A Prevalent Problem - Although street harassment has no universal definition and virtually no legislation against it, women around the world are continually violated by the unwelcome, gender-based words and actions of strangers as they navigate public spaces. A 2014 survey revealed that 65 percent of women in the U.S. have experienced street harassment, with 23 percent having been sexually touched. (Photo: Heide Benser/Corbis)

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A Prevalent Problem - Although street harassment has no universal definition and virtually no legislation against it, women around the world are continually violated by the unwelcome, gender-based words and actions of strangers as they navigate public spaces. A 2014 survey revealed that 65 percent of women in the U.S. have experienced street harassment, with 23 percent having been sexually touched. (Photo: Heide Benser/Corbis)

Mary 'Unique' Spears - While celebrating the life of a deceased family member, Mary “Unique” Spears of Detroit was fatally gunned down on Oct. 4 by a man whose advances she had rejected throughout the event. Five family members, including Spears’s fiancee, were also wounded in the mass shooting and hospitalized. "What was on your mind that you could be so evil?” Belinda Bailey, Spears’s aunt, asked myFOXDetroit.com. "Because she said no to you?” The 27-year-old leaves behind three children.(Photo: myfoxdetroit.com)

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Mary 'Unique' Spears - While celebrating the life of a deceased family member, Mary “Unique” Spears of Detroit was fatally gunned down on Oct. 4 by a man whose advances she had rejected throughout the event. Five family members, including Spears’s fiancee, were also wounded in the mass shooting and hospitalized. "What was on your mind that you could be so evil?” Belinda Bailey, Spears’s aunt, asked myFOXDetroit.com. "Because she said no to you?” The 27-year-old leaves behind three children.(Photo: myfoxdetroit.com)

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Throat Slashed in Queens - On Oct. 1, a man slashed a 26-year-old woman in the neck and seriously injured her in a building lobby in Queens, NY, after she ignored his approach. An acquaintance of the victim says she suffered damage to her vocal chords. The NYPD have requested help from the public in finding the suspect.(Photo: NBC 4, New York Local News)

Mary Brandon - In August 2014, Mary Brandon planned to spend her holiday weekend dancing with friends at the annual Notting Hill Carnival in London. Her plans were cut short when she stood up to a man who groped her and was, subsequently, punched in the face. "I wanted to have a good time but instead I spent nine hours in [the ER] because of this coward,” she wrote on Facebook. "A woman should be able to leave the house without fear of being sexually assaulted. And she should be able to defend herself without being put in hospital."(Photo: Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Red Bull)

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Mary Brandon - In August 2014, Mary Brandon planned to spend her holiday weekend dancing with friends at the annual Notting Hill Carnival in London. Her plans were cut short when she stood up to a man who groped her and was, subsequently, punched in the face. "I wanted to have a good time but instead I spent nine hours in [the ER] because of this coward,” she wrote on Facebook. "A woman should be able to leave the house without fear of being sexually assaulted. And she should be able to defend herself without being put in hospital."(Photo: Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Red Bull)

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Run Over by SUV Multiple Times - Florida police arrested Adrian Mendez on Sept. 23, 2013, after he kidnapped a girl in Marion County the prior night and then ran her over with his SUV. According to the girl, the 21-year-old man had offered her $200 to have sex with him. When she refused, he grabbed her hair, pulled her into the vehicle, choked her until she passed out. An eyewitness reported that an SUV ran over the girl multiple times, crushing her legs and hips.(Photo: Marion County Police)

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Run Over by SUV Multiple Times - Florida police arrested Adrian Mendez on Sept. 23, 2013, after he kidnapped a girl in Marion County the prior night and then ran her over with his SUV. According to the girl, the 21-year-old man had offered her $200 to have sex with him. When she refused, he grabbed her hair, pulled her into the vehicle, choked her until she passed out. An eyewitness reported that an SUV ran over the girl multiple times, crushing her legs and hips.(Photo: Marion County Police)

Jackie Monney - It was about 6 p.m. on July 28, 2013, when a white sedan approached Jackie Monney during her evening run. The 33-year-old woman from Royal City, Washington, declined the driver’s ride offer, which prompted him to hit her twice with his vehicle. Monney suffered non-life-threatening injuries.(Photo: Terry Vine/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Jackie Monney - It was about 6 p.m. on July 28, 2013, when a white sedan approached Jackie Monney during her evening run. The 33-year-old woman from Royal City, Washington, declined the driver’s ride offer, which prompted him to hit her twice with his vehicle. Monney suffered non-life-threatening injuries.(Photo: Terry Vine/Blend Images/Corbis)

Stabbed in San Francisco - A 33-year-old woman was walking down the street in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood the evening of Jan. 7, 2013, when a stranger approached her and propositioned her, according to local police. When the woman rebuffed him, the man slashed her face and stabbed her arm. The victim managed to escape to her nearby apartment, contact the police and receive medical attention for her injuries. The suspect remains at large.(Photo: REUTERS/Robert Galbraith /Landov)

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Stabbed in San Francisco - A 33-year-old woman was walking down the street in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood the evening of Jan. 7, 2013, when a stranger approached her and propositioned her, according to local police. When the woman rebuffed him, the man slashed her face and stabbed her arm. The victim managed to escape to her nearby apartment, contact the police and receive medical attention for her injuries. The suspect remains at large.(Photo: REUTERS/Robert Galbraith /Landov)

Hit in Face With Bowling Ball - One South Carolina woman’s trip to a local bowling alley quickly escalated into a brutal attack on December 23, 2011. Omar Sheree Stevenson threw a bowling ball at the 31-year-old woman’s head and left her bleeding after she turned down his offer to buy her a drink. The attack did not result in any major injuries, but the victim’s wound required seven stitches. Stevenson was charged with attempted murder.(Photo: Daniel Mirer/Corbis)

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Hit in Face With Bowling Ball - One South Carolina woman’s trip to a local bowling alley quickly escalated into a brutal attack on December 23, 2011. Omar Sheree Stevenson threw a bowling ball at the 31-year-old woman’s head and left her bleeding after she turned down his offer to buy her a drink. The attack did not result in any major injuries, but the victim’s wound required seven stitches. Stevenson was charged with attempted murder.(Photo: Daniel Mirer/Corbis)

Forced to Ground, Sexually Assaulted - In May 2009, a woman in Savannah, Georgia, was approached by three men who tried to start a conversation with her as she walked near local railroad tracks. She told police she disregarded them and continued walking before being forced to the ground, pinned down and sexually assaulted. A witness who noticed the assault while driving by scared away the suspects and drove the victim home.(Photo: James Eckersley/Image Source/Corbis)

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Forced to Ground, Sexually Assaulted - In May 2009, a woman in Savannah, Georgia, was approached by three men who tried to start a conversation with her as she walked near local railroad tracks. She told police she disregarded them and continued walking before being forced to the ground, pinned down and sexually assaulted. A witness who noticed the assault while driving by scared away the suspects and drove the victim home.(Photo: James Eckersley/Image Source/Corbis)

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Ysemny Ramos - Ysemny Ramos, 29, was pregnant with her third child and on her way to celebrate her third wedding anniversary when a van driver lost control and slammed into her and her co-worker Tassia Katsiambanis in Manhattan, New York. Driver Keston Brown, 27, had been catcalling the woman prior to the crash and was ultimately charged with driving while intoxicated and marijuana possession. Katsiambanis survived the tragic incident, but Ramos died at the scene on March 27, 2009.(Photo: MONASTER/NEWS/NY Daily News) 

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Ysemny Ramos - Ysemny Ramos, 29, was pregnant with her third child and on her way to celebrate her third wedding anniversary when a van driver lost control and slammed into her and her co-worker Tassia Katsiambanis in Manhattan, New York. Driver Keston Brown, 27, had been catcalling the woman prior to the crash and was ultimately charged with driving while intoxicated and marijuana possession. Katsiambanis survived the tragic incident, but Ramos died at the scene on March 27, 2009.(Photo: MONASTER/NEWS/NY Daily News) 

Sakia Gunn - The brutal murder of Sakia Gunn sparked national debates around the racial disparities in the media's coverage of hate crimes against LGBTQ teens. The Black 15-year-old was stabbed to death on May 11, 2003, after she and her girlfriends rejected the sexual advances of two men by explaining that they were all lesbians. Richard McCullough, who was charged with Gunn’s death, received a plea bargain and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2005. In 2008, a documentary titled Dreams Deferred: The Sakia Gunn Film Project was released.(Photo: Dreams Deferred: The Sakia Gunn Film Project)

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Sakia Gunn - The brutal murder of Sakia Gunn sparked national debates around the racial disparities in the media's coverage of hate crimes against LGBTQ teens. The Black 15-year-old was stabbed to death on May 11, 2003, after she and her girlfriends rejected the sexual advances of two men by explaining that they were all lesbians. Richard McCullough, who was charged with Gunn’s death, received a plea bargain and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2005. In 2008, a documentary titled Dreams Deferred: The Sakia Gunn Film Project was released.(Photo: Dreams Deferred: The Sakia Gunn Film Project)

Quwanda Thorton - The night before Thanksgiving in 2003, Quwanda Thorton was waiting at a Baltimore bus stop on her way to work. Twin brothers Brian and Paul Wilson, 15, approached the 20-year-old pregnant woman, talking to her and touching her. After Thorton pulled away, Brian fatally shot her. The following year, Brian was charged as an adult with first-degree murder and sentenced to a 30-year prison term. His brother, Paul, also charged as an adult, made a plea agreement and had his charges dropped to second-degree murder. (Photo: Topic Photo Agency/Corbis)

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Quwanda Thorton - The night before Thanksgiving in 2003, Quwanda Thorton was waiting at a Baltimore bus stop on her way to work. Twin brothers Brian and Paul Wilson, 15, approached the 20-year-old pregnant woman, talking to her and touching her. After Thorton pulled away, Brian fatally shot her. The following year, Brian was charged as an adult with first-degree murder and sentenced to a 30-year prison term. His brother, Paul, also charged as an adult, made a plea agreement and had his charges dropped to second-degree murder. (Photo: Topic Photo Agency/Corbis)

Stop Street Harassment - What started as a blog in 2008 soon grew to become an incorporated non-profit organization dedicated to documenting and ending gender-based street harassment around the world. Stop Street Harassment is primarily focused on documenting the problem and proving why it is a human rights violation that must be discussed. SSH’s offerings include online resources, research and community mobilization toolkits and events.(Photo: stopstreetharassment.org)

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Stop Street Harassment - What started as a blog in 2008 soon grew to become an incorporated non-profit organization dedicated to documenting and ending gender-based street harassment around the world. Stop Street Harassment is primarily focused on documenting the problem and proving why it is a human rights violation that must be discussed. SSH’s offerings include online resources, research and community mobilization toolkits and events.(Photo: stopstreetharassment.org)

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh's 'Stop Telling Women to Smile' - U.S.-based artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh tackles the topic with street art. Her national project, “Stop Telling Women to Smile,” consists of a series of posters featuring portraits and text inspired by women’s real-life street harassment experiences. “This is all about how women’s bodies are consumed and are considered public property for display, comment and consumption,” Fazlalizadeh told The New York Times. “Women need to start talking about their daily moments because it’s the smaller stuff that affects the larger things, like rape, domestic violence, harassment in the workplace.”(Photo: Tatyana Fazlalizadeh via Instagram)

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Tatyana Fazlalizadeh's 'Stop Telling Women to Smile' - U.S.-based artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh tackles the topic with street art. Her national project, “Stop Telling Women to Smile,” consists of a series of posters featuring portraits and text inspired by women’s real-life street harassment experiences. “This is all about how women’s bodies are consumed and are considered public property for display, comment and consumption,” Fazlalizadeh told The New York Times. “Women need to start talking about their daily moments because it’s the smaller stuff that affects the larger things, like rape, domestic violence, harassment in the workplace.”(Photo: Tatyana Fazlalizadeh via Instagram)

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Hollaback! - “You never know when street harassment is going to escalate into violence — and too often it does,” Emily May, the co-founder and current executive director of Hollaback! said in a recent statement regarding the murder of Mary "Unique" Spears. Launched officially in 2010, the international nonprofit organization works to combat street harassment by developing innovations, sharing stories and inspiring leadership to ensure equal access to public spaces.(Photo: ihollaback.org)

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Hollaback! - “You never know when street harassment is going to escalate into violence — and too often it does,” Emily May, the co-founder and current executive director of Hollaback! said in a recent statement regarding the murder of Mary "Unique" Spears. Launched officially in 2010, the international nonprofit organization works to combat street harassment by developing innovations, sharing stories and inspiring leadership to ensure equal access to public spaces.(Photo: ihollaback.org)

Know Your Rights - Hollaback! recently partnered with several law firms and in-house corporate legal teams to produce a guide that identifies relevant laws related to street harassment and explains the legal actions available to victims in 36 jurisdictions, including Canada, England and major U.S. cities.(Photo: Rolf Bruderer/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Know Your Rights - Hollaback! recently partnered with several law firms and in-house corporate legal teams to produce a guide that identifies relevant laws related to street harassment and explains the legal actions available to victims in 36 jurisdictions, including Canada, England and major U.S. cities.(Photo: Rolf Bruderer/Blend Images/Corbis)

Catcalling Video Goes Viral - In late October, Rob Bliss Creative and the anti-street harassment organization Hollaback released a video showing a woman walking around New York City for 10 hours. The undercover camera caught more than 100 instances of street harassment, causing the video to go viral and start a national conversation. The racial politics at play were also critiqued, as Bliss controversially edited out all of the white men who harassed the woman, Slate reported. (Photo: iHollaback, Rob Bliss Creative via youtube)

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Catcalling Video Goes Viral - In late October, Rob Bliss Creative and the anti-street harassment organization Hollaback released a video showing a woman walking around New York City for 10 hours. The undercover camera caught more than 100 instances of street harassment, causing the video to go viral and start a national conversation. The racial politics at play were also critiqued, as Bliss controversially edited out all of the white men who harassed the woman, Slate reported. (Photo: iHollaback, Rob Bliss Creative via youtube)

Women of Color Respond to Viral Catcalling Video - Writer and producer Collier Meyerson recently teamed up with Jezebel to release a video in response to the viral Hollaback! catcalling video. "The Hollaback video's omission of white men, and the omission of black and brown women, worked together in an sinister alchemy to reinforce centuries-old stereotypes about who needs to be saved and protected and who needs to be feared and controlled,” wrote Meyerson. (Photo: courtesy Jezebel)

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Women of Color Respond to Viral Catcalling Video - Writer and producer Collier Meyerson recently teamed up with Jezebel to release a video in response to the viral Hollaback! catcalling video. "The Hollaback video's omission of white men, and the omission of black and brown women, worked together in an sinister alchemy to reinforce centuries-old stereotypes about who needs to be saved and protected and who needs to be feared and controlled,” wrote Meyerson. (Photo: courtesy Jezebel)