The exploration of attitudes towards “catcalling” in the Maltese adult population

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes regarding street harassment in the adult Maltese population and compare them by demographics, such as gender, sexuality and age. The final sample consisted of 144 participants who provided their age, gender, race/ethnicity and sexuality, and answered questions related to catcalling. This data was collected using online questionnaires via Google Forms and analysed using SPSS. It was discovered that women and non-binary individuals experienced stranger harassment more frequently, while homosexuals experienced it less than both bisexuals and heterosexuals. Context and characteristics of the catcaller, such as age, attractiveness, time of day and whether the victim was alone or accompanied by friends affected how negatively the experience was perceived. However, attractiveness and age of the catcaller played a bigger role for men. The most frequently endorsed coping style in the sample was passive. Such a coping style hinders the recognition of street harassment as a serious issue that affects people in Malta, as well as policy-making. Moreover, it may send a message that catcalling is acceptable. Coping practices varied by gender, men were more likely to take catcalling as a compliment and women were more likely to employ avoidance. Sexuality mainly affected the individual’s coping: heterosexuals favoured avoidance, while those of “other” sexualities experienced greater self-blame. In conclusion, this study’s results were consistent with the previous research findings and further explored how some of the under-studied demographics, such as age and sexuality, may affect one’s perceptions of catcalling.