In conjunction with International Anti-Street Harassment Week and Sexual Assault Awareness Month, CASS was proud to debut its latest campaign with WMATA and Stop Street Harassment this past week.
The campaign, “You Can Help STOP Harassment,” highlights four actions bystanders can take when they witness harassment on public transportation:
- Sidetrack: Distract from the situation by asking a question or interacting with the person being harassed: “Hey, I think you dropped your keys.”
- Tell: Report the incident to Metro staff via text, phone call, or in person.
- Observe: Note details of the incident and, with the permission of the person being harassed, report to Metro staff.
- Postpone: Check in and offer support to the person being harassed after the incident has ended: “Are you ok?”
The campaign seeks to empower witnesses, offering tools to help de-escalate a situation and provide support to those being harassed, as well as the option to hold harassers accountable. While it can be difficult to know what to do when witnessing harassment, “You Can Help STOP Harassment” provides different methods for intervention depending on one’s comfort level and safety.
CASS believes that to ensure safe spaces for all, people in our communities must speak out and collaborate to create change. Through this campaign, we hope to inspire new voices to join this work. Together, we can STOP harassment.
