Harassment in Public Spaces: The Intrusion on Personal Space

Abstract

ABSTRACT Street/public harassment framed as stranger intrusion more accurately recognizes and accounts for the potential harm perpetrated on survivors of harassment. Considering the #MeToo Movement, this paper highlights the ubiquitous nature of street/public harassment and the overlooked emotional and physical harm daily perpetrated in public spaces onto marginalized groups. This paper describes possible healing and meaning making that gendering and renaming street/public harassment can offer to survivors of such harassment, what helps perpetuate such acts, recourse for survivors, and the role of practitioners and family scholars in combatting the origins and effects of street/public harassment. Implications of understanding the harm of stranger intrusion include working towards social change to non-normalize stranger intrusion, facilitating healing, and working with perpetrators to increase accountability.