DISCUSSION: is wolf whistling ever okay?

For those of you who don’t know what a wolf whistle is, I’m hoping it is because you have never experienced it and that would be a great example of a non-sexist and non-objectifying world. But predominantly for girls, this is a sound that can make us shiver in our boots. 

Defined by google, because who doesn’t love google, wolf whistling is:

A whistle directed towards someone to express sexual attraction or admiration. 

But the origin of the wolf-whistle is unknown, some speculate that it originated through farmers training border collie’s to be sheep herders, others say it came from sailors who to get another boat’s attention they would whistle in this way to be heard and not confused with wind or the sea. But don’t quote me on this. 

To answer my question, no. This casual form of sexual harassment is not okay and makes me feel disgusting whenever I hear it. At eight years old, my parents allowed me to walk down to the local shops independently, and half-way between the shops and home, a red car does this whistle at me, heckles me to stop and continues to ask for my number. Repeat. I was eight. I then went home and cried, and the urgency of our lack of milk at home disappeared. And being the anxious child I was, I then hated passing those types of cars. 

Later on, when everything had calmed down and I was telling my friends at school what had happened, they asked me; ‘but did it not feel good to be admired?’. As an 8-year-old and even as a woman now, no because this is far from admiration. As a firm believer in Disney, every person has the right to be swept off their feet. -but in the non-whistling, correct manner of course! 

This is sexual harassment, and it kills me that in my life and experiences, these mostly happened when I was in my childhood years and my secondary school uniform. And if you ask me, it has made me weary of certain people or places, because the few individuals who have engaged in this behaviour have created a stereotype, for me at least, that I will always feel uneasy about. But as I am older and more resilient to idiotic and ludicrous behaviour I have begun to come up with a few techniques. Here’s a few:

-       If they are in a car, stick that middle finger up loud and proud to show that that behaviour is not acceptable. And if you are with a mate, stick that finger up in solidarity. 

-       Humour them by going over. And then outsmart them by asking them what they are compensating for. 

-       If you know them or can recognise them, report them. And if you see them again, be brave. They are petty. 

-       Talk to people about it. Whether it’s a friend, parent, or significant other. Talk about it. Remember how unacceptable it is and how this type of behaviour encourages other negative sexual behaviours which are not healthy for anyone. 

You are not an object. You are not a sheepdog, you are not a boat. You are a human being who deserves nothing else but to be treated with the upmost respect.

Harri x

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