Men encouraged to 'Do the Right Thing' and call out sexual harassment
A 'unique' campaign has launched in Sussex today, which encourages men to call out sexual harassment and misogynistic behaviour.
The 'Do the Right Thing' campaign, led by Sussex Police, will give men the confidence and skills to recognise and call out these forms of harassment.
The campaign has the backing of local celebrities such as musician Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim), actor John Simm, cricketer Tymal Mills and author Peter James.
Posters will be put up in train stations and supermarkets, whilst QR codes will be placed on beer mats in pubs across the county pointing to a dedicated website.
Visitors to this website will be able to sign up to free 'bystander intervention' training, which will enable people to identify misogyny and sexual harassment.
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said:
"The aim of my Do the Right Thing campaign is to encourage all men to challenge their friends and colleagues who may cross the line. Perhaps your friend has shared an explicit photo, or wolf whistled at a woman on a night out. These things may seem harmless or a bit of fun, but I would encourage anyone to consider how they would feel if the target of that attention was their partner, sister or mother.
"The vast majority of men would never condone or carry out such behaviours but there are still a distressing number who do and I know from a recent survey that women and girls across our county want to see the onus to tackle misogyny and sexual harassment placed on men."
Police say businesses who want to get involved can show their support for the campaign by signing up to the same training offered online, or by registering their premises as a 'Safe Space'.
A 'Safe Space' business is somewhere for people to go if they feel threatened or at risk of harm. These will then be included on a soon to launch app, which will direct those at risk to available safe spaces nearby.
Superintendent Steve Rayland, Head of the Sussex Police Public Protection Command said:
"We fully support this new campaign by the Police and Crime Commissioner.
"This fresh call to men to recognise unacceptable attitudes and behaviour in themselves and those around them is very welcome and has the potential to help keep women safer.
"The police service is committed to taking action to prevent and detect such crimes and keep everyone safe, but it is clear that violence against women and girls is a societal problem that cannot be addressed by police alone. This issue is bigger than policing. It is part of a wider debate about what we must all do to challenge sexism and misogyny that exists in society in all its forms."