Addressing street harassment should start in the schools

It’s been happening for years in Hamtramck.
Specifically, street harassment of women.
Whether it’s catcalls or aggressive sexual propositioning, generations of Hamtramck women have experienced this verbal assault.
There are, of course, plenty of other towns where this happens. Why it seems so prominent here maybe has to do with how compact and concentrated the city is, and the fact that we all do a great of walking about town.
Recently, the issue gained renewed attention via Hamtramck social media – mainly Facebook.
A number of women have stepped forward and offered their experiences, and a number of Zoom meetings have been held to further address the issue.
Former Councilmember Ian Perrotta proposed a resolution to address the issue, but it was postponed after several women objected to what the resolution could lead to: giving police officers the green light to harass minorities.
Perrotta resigned after he brought the resolution put on hold.
At this Tuesday’s council meeting, a modified version of his resolution was passed.
While further action waits, it seems one way to also approach this issue is through our schools. Education at an early age seems like a good starting point.
That will take coordination between city and school officials, and it’s been proven in the past that partnership has been fruitful.
Stamping out this behavior starts with our youth.
April 30, 2021