WATCH: Campaign shows young men the impact of sexual harassment

Wednesday, 4 December 2024 07:00

A new campaign, targeting young men in Jersey aged 16-25, is trying to reduce sexual harassment by highlighting its impact on women and girls.

The Government of Jersey asked female islanders to share their day-to-day experiences of street harassment in a 2022 survey.

These stories, featuring statements from children as young as ten, have been collected and anonymously displayed on posters and stickers, which will be put up in schools and youth centres around the island.

Stories from islanders experiencing sexual harassment

A targeted social media campaign is also being rolled out - directed at young boys. trying to instil in them from a young age that sexual harassment is not okay.

Home Affairs Minister Mary Le Hegarat hopes this will help prevent the violence faced by women and girls:

"We want to heighten people's understanding of how words and their behaviour can impact on someone else and make them feel threatened.

"We're trying to work with the community as a whole. Part of the work is going into and dealing with the island's schools.

"If we teach young people then moving forward, culturally we will change. People's perceptions of society will change and I think that is very important.

"If we do it with young people as a starting point then that will change culturally how we behave."