UNITED KINGDOM (CelebrityAccess) A recent survey in the U.K noted that nearly half of female festivalgoers under 40 claim they have faced unwanted sexual behavior at the events.
YouGov surveyed 1,188 festivalgoers. Overall, 22 percent of them said they have faced assautl or harassment, rising to 30 percent of women overall, according to the BBC. The most common forms were unwelcome and forceful dancing and verbal sexualized harassment.
The survey, commissioned by the Press Association, also found that only 1 percent of women reported harassment to festival staff but 19 percent of men did.
Jen Calleja, co-director of the Good Night Out Campaign, called the survey “shocking but not surprising.”
Rape Crisis’ Katie Russell offered up some advice to the BBC:
“As a bystander, do as much as you can to engage the perceived victim – be aware that they may feel humiliated and/or unempowered.
“Ask them what would they like to happen next? Try to avoid putting yourself in immediate physical danger and use your judgment. Our advice would be similar for a survivor in any circumstance. Try to be with someone you trust, who can stay with you, someone you can disclose to. You might be in shock, so try to stay warm and hydrated.
“If you want to report it, what we’d like to see is festivals working with specialist local services, so security staff are properly trained to show respect and empathy.”
