Why do men engage in street harassment? An analysis of self-reported male offenders’ behaviors

• In Event: International Perspectives on Sexual Violence

Abstract

During the past decade, interest in street harassment of women has gained considerable ground. Most research focused on the nature and extent of victimization of women. This research focuses on examining the factors that contribute to men’s motivation for engaging in street harassment. More specifically, we examine self-reported data from 629 males from New Delhi National Capital Territory, India, and their reasons for participating in street harassment of females from competing conceptual frameworks that include gender-based perspectives of patriarchy and gender-equality (Agency) and mainstream criminological perspectives of routine activities theory (suitable target, absence of a capable guardian, and perceived women’s interest), and learning perspectives (presence of a male friend). Findings and implications are discussed.

Authors

• Mahesh Nalla, Michigan State University

• Anna Gurinskaya, Michigan State University