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The survey found that more than two-thirds of young women said they had been harassed on the street. (Getty Images)
According to a survey, almost a quarter of Britons are in favor of cat calls being a criminal offense.
That support rises to nearly 40% among women ages 18 to 39, according to the YouGov poll of nearly 3,400 people.
It comes after Priti Patel hinted in July that street harassment could be criminalized.
The poll, published in the Sunday Telegraph, found that 69% of respondents felt that making sexually suggestive or indecent comments on people in public should be criminalized.
It also found that 64% believed it should be a criminal offense to take someone’s picture without their consent.
Continue reading: Young, attractive women “are more likely to be believed”
Similarly, 60% believed that intruding into your personal space, blocking your path, or harassing you because of your name or number should also be criminalized.
The survey also found that 69% of young women aged 18 to 39 have experienced street harassment that depicts unwanted sexualized comments, gestures, or actions.
It was found that 66% of this age group were kitties – compared to 54% of 30 to 39 year olds and 43% of 40 to 49 year olds.
Overall, over 70% of women between the ages of 18 and 60 years were whistled.
Continue reading: Months after Sarah Everard’s murder, 50% of women still feel unsafe
In March, following Sarah Everard’s death, the Home Office said it was considering making street sexual harassment a criminal offense, and in July Home Secretary Patel hinted that it might be a specific crime – although it hasn’t yet it was announced for sure when it would become a law.
A study earlier this year found that women who are both young and “conventionally attractive” are more likely to be believed when they make allegations of sexual assault.
The study found that the general public perceived that women who conform to this female prototype are more likely to be harassed.
Hence, those who fail to do so may encounter obstacles in trying to convince an employer or court that they have been targeted because they are considered less credible.
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