Wolf whistling - is it sexual harrasment?

I don't think wolf whistling is always sexual. Sometimes men just do it for fun or to get a reaction if they are in a group.

If it's any consolation, I know a few men who receive comments or whatever when they're walking down the street alone. Obviously not wolf whistles, but sometimes abuse. Mainly from teens/groups just looking to create mischief.

Unless it's very excessive and persistent, I don't think it's sexual harassment. In fact, I think that's insulting to the victims of real sexual harassment.

I think sometimes people forget the difference between sexual assault and sexual harassment...

In most English speaking countries, wolf whistling is actually considered a form of sexual harassment. Now, I don't think it's right to say that it is an insult to those who are victims of "real" sexual harassment. just because there are more severe forms of it, doesn't make it any less real. All crimes vary in severity, and they aren't in competition with one another.

Also, does it matter whether it's sexual or not? Many cases of sexual abuse are not sexual, but are acts of aggression/ domination. The fact that the perpetrator received no sexual gratification from it doesn't make it any
less of a crime.

Also, you seem to think that men wolf whistling in a group "for fun" is acceptable. It is not. It is even more intimidating and humiliating.

Just try and muster some empathy. I'm not saying it's a crime worthy of offense, it isn't. But I do believe it to be a form of sexual harassment and should be socially frowned upon.

No, I meant that men often whistle in a group to get a reaction from their friends, even if they find the woman unattractive. Probably particularly if they find the girl unattractive.

If someone feels they have been harassed after one brief whistle, then they're a pretty pathetic human being tbh. Yes, it's unpleasant but crap happens all the time and not every incident has to be reported to the police. People overreact over everything nowadays.

I know some of my friend's and families opinions on this, and im curious to see if the same opinion stretches nationwide or if different areas share different opinions.

To sum it up as a initial starting point, wolf whistling as defined by Wikipedia is "a two-toned sound (like 'whip-woo' commonly made using the above technique to show high interest or approval of something or someone." And it is mainly directed at young girls, although It can be directed at young men deemed attractive.

In my opinion, it is disgusting. I first began getting wolf whistled at the age of 13 when I had next to no curves, had my hair in a ugly looking bob hairstyle with a low ponytail down the back and my clothing consisted of t-shirts and jogging bottoms. Not really the sorts of things deemed attractive, but somehow it happened. It was clearly obvious that I was underage, but for some reason I was seen as being good-looking enough for a 'compliment.'

Even now, I am 16 years old and I get wolf whistled and stares from older men that often, that I have reached a point where I do not go out on my own because it makes me feel humilated and almost like the inner person that I am, has very little value to society. I feel like I am only accepted as part of society because I have curves on my body. It's not true of course, but it feels like that. I've begun to go back to wearing tops that go to the top of my collar to see if they attract less attention, and when it's bearable to do so, I wear the bulkiest hoodie I own to avoid wolf whistles to no avail. Surely in a way, it's pedophilic? I mean, we get articles popping up online talking about how younger and younger children are being drawn into the sexual world. But isn't wolf whistling a part of this too? As we are being told at young ages through wolf whistles that we look sexually appealing even though we are technically still children.

I once brought this topic up to a friend once and I told her it made me uncomfortable. She told me it's just one of those things I should get used to, but why should I? I don't want to walk down the street and feel like Im just providing a extra bit of eye candy to any man (and yes, I've never been wolf whistled by a woman) who happens to be out at the same time as me. I want to be recognised as someone who has gone out for a purpose, and just because I'm young, doesn't mean I want attention. In a way, it's slut shaming, and it's only because I'm young am I getting this attention. I'm not wearing anything revealing. Only skin I'm showing is my hands, head and ankles so surely it's a giveaway I don't want to be complimented.

I don't think myself as a feminist. I don't often speak about the men and women differences. But I think there's a extreme problem if I'm too scared to leave the house on my own in fear of these 'compliments.'

With the way feminazism is going soon simply talking to a woman will be sexually harrassment

I'm not filing this for report. It never even crossed my mind. I wrote this thread to see if I was the only one who felt this uncomfortable and made to seem lesser when I got wolf whistled at.

In my starter post, people seemed to think that because I was 16 I thought it as being pedophilic, when instead I was referring back to when I was 13, and quite clearly 13, and being wolf whistled at. Some of the blokes are old enough to be my dad at that age, which is why I found it to be so wrong. At 13, you're lucky to even have some proper curves on you, and nearly everyone at 13 still retains some of their childlike bodies, which is why I believed it to have a form of pedophilia behind it.

People who say it's an acceptable part of society clearly don't understand what intimidation feels like. You never see women wolf whistle, and if they do, they come across as "sluts", and I have heard this label be used on women that do catcall before. If I want a compliment on my looks, I'd rather it come from my boyfriend/friends in a private setting. I don't walk outside to go shopping for a compliment.

Funny though, I don't see any young men giving wolf whistles, it all seems to come from the slightly older generations.