Our new campaign highlights the lasting harm caused by verbal abuse.
The campaign includes out-of-home adverts across the region throughout September 2024, reflecting comments and feedback from young women and girls who described the ‘ever-present’ fear and impact that relentless verbal harassment has on their day-to-day lives. It challenges the language used by perpetrators to reinforce that unwanted comments are far from harmless.
We’ve also included some social media cards you can use at the bottom of this page.
Verbal abuse is the use of abusive, insulting or threatening language that causes someone else harassment, alarm or distress. It’s one several forms of abuse that are deployed by perpetrators of abuse and violence against women and girls.
The Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, said: “When we hear from young women and girls about their experiences, there are some distressing themes that come to the fore. Firstly, this is a common unwanted occurrence and they can all recall instances of experiencing verbal harassment in public spaces and places. Secondly, the impact of these experiences is truly severe. The words used by perpetrators may differ slightly but the feelings of fear and being unsafe persist. It’s not ‘just’ banter. It’s abuse, plain and simple.”
“Ultimately, the buck stops with the harasser and we’re calling on these people to change their behavior and if they do not, then they need to be held to account and face the consequences of their actions. But there’s also more that we can do as family, friends and colleagues to call out these people for their actions and behavior. Change is long overdue, and we need the action and support of everyone to put an end to abuse and violence against women and girls.”