The New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority has a new policy encouraging women to report men who grope them on the subway.The policy came about after a police sting and informal surveys indicated that being harassed or groped on the subway was a common experience among women.
I'm glad to see such a policy. Women need to be reminded that they don't have to suffer such abuses in silence. They can take action.
There are probably times when the best course of action is to get off at the next stop and find a transit officer, but in many cases, yelling at the guy and embarrassing him when the assault happens may be the most effective response. In that situation, you will likely get support from others on the subway car.
On Salon's Broadsheet, Kate Harding suggests that this is another way of putting the onus on the victim. But while it's important not to blame victims, one of the best ways to stop assaults against women is for women to refuse to be victims. And the best way to do that is to stand up against attackers.
