045 Admiral Village, Talon III, Las Piñas City

STREET CATCALLING: A QUALITATIVE STUDY ON

THE EXPERIENCES OF FEMALE GRADE 11
ACCOUNTANCY, BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT STUDENTS

A Qualitative Research
Presented to the Basic Education
SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI COLLEGE-LAS PIÑAS CAMPUS
Admiral Village, Talon III, Las Piñas City

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in

PRACTICAL RESEARCH 1

Parce, Lei Maverick A.

Bardelas, Khauri M.
Claridad, Diana Tasha O.
De San Andres, Tracy B.
Elatico, Joana Marie A.
Lumagbas, Elaiza Marie
Macasieb, Rachel M.
Persia, Jhamain A.
Silo, Darline T.

Grade 11- Karl Marx

Research Adviser
Mr. Jesary Marc Arnoza

Date of Completion

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Chapter I
INTRODUCTION

Street harassment can be derived in many forms such as catcalling. Catcalling is

the act of unexpectedly giving a “compliment” to a woman in a sexual manner. The said
act can be shown in different ways such as, whistling, and giving comments about a girl’s
physical appearance. This issue is evident in our society nowadays, yet the authority has
not given this enough attention in order to resolve this. Enlightenment and awareness are
needed in order to resolve street catcalling.

Background of the Study

Catcalling is a kind of street harassment whereas, it involves unwanted comments,
unusual sounds and gestures, or persistent sexual advances given to a female by strangers
in public places. The said street harassment is very discomforting and alarming for the
victims, for it is promoting fear within their hearts and minds.
As per observations and self-experiences of the researchers, physical appearance
and the clothes of a woman seems like a factor that triggers men to catcall. The
researchers are eager to do this study, because they know that catcalling can affect the
victim’s mental health and self-esteem, which is alarming.
On October 2017, women used different social media platforms in order to share
their experiences of sexual harassment. The #MeToo movement went viral, which brings
sexual harassment on the table for national and international discussion. Even though the
movementis already done, the battle against sexual harassment especially catcalling is not
yet over for there are still victims of this act.
A survey from www.GfK.com found that 81% of women had experienced some
form of sexual harassment during their lifetime, and 77% of these sexual harassments are
on the form of verbal sexual harassment, such as being catcalled or whistled at or getting
unwanted comments of a sexual nature.
On April 17, 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the law called the Safe
Spaces Act or the Republic Act No. 11313 and made public on July 15, 2019 by Akbayan
Senator Risa Hontiveros. Within this act, catcalling is considered as a First Degree
Offense with a penalty of a thousand peso fine to a ten thousand peso fine and a 12-hour
community service with Gender Sensitivity Seminar to one month in prison. This
research aims to conduct a study if the implementation of this law helped women
especially teenagers and students combat street catcalling that is currently happening to
millions of women in the Philippines.

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Theoretical Framework
Lottery Theory
Another way to theorize why men catcall and think it’ll get a positive reaction is to
compare it to why people buy lottery tickets. If one’s odds of winning the lottery can be
something as outrageous as 1 in 292 million, why do so many people continue to buy the
tickets? Robert Williams, a professor of health science and gambling studies at the
University of Lethbridge explained to Business Insider that people experience a “near
miss” effect after purchasing a lottery ticket and finding out the winning numbers: when
you feel you’ve almost won and want to try again, even if you weren’t close to winning
in the first place. If someone were to get one or two numbers out of six winning numbers,
they are compelled to try again just because they may get all the numbers next time.

We can apply the theory as to why people continue to buy lottery tickets in the same way
that men continue to catcall and harass women. With catcalling, if someone gives so
much as a blink to a catcaller, the catcaller might think “well if there was a response, then
it’ll definitely work the next time.”

Well here is the answer to your lottery-like attempts: no, women do not appreciate you
catcalling them.

The lottery theory is somehow connected to catcalling. The mindset of the people that
they are close in winning the jackpot prize if they are just going to continue to buy
tickets, is just the same with the mindset of the men that they are going to get a girl just
by doing unwanted compliments, not knowing that they are actually doing the opposite
thing.

Conceptual Framework

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

-The experiences on -Survey -Findings
catcalling -Data Gathering -Recommendation
Procedure
-The contributory factors of -Data Analysis
catcalling

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-The reactions of the

respondents towards
catcalling

Figure 1. Research Paradigm

This current study aims to determine what are the contributory factors of catcalling and
what are the experiences and responses of the victims toward catcalling.

Input – Experiences on catcalling, contributory factors of catcalling, reactions of

respondents towards catcalling
Process – Survey, data gathering procedure, and data analysis
Output- Findings and recommendations

Statement of the Problem

This study generally aims to determine if Grade 11 Accountancy, Business and
Management female students have experienced catcalling, so that they will be enlighten
about the basic information of catcalling, and give them help if ever they are
experiencing psychological problems.
Specifically, this study shall seek answers to the following questions:
1. When do victims usually experience catcalling?
2. How often have the respondents experience catcalling?
3. What are the contributory factors of catcalling?
4. What are the reactions of respondents to catcalling?

Scope and Limitations

The limitation of the study is that it will be conducted to the grade 11
Accountancy, Business and Management female students in Saint Francis of Assisi
College. Within the 3 sections of grade 11 Accountancy, Business and Management
strand, Peter Drucker, Tim Cook, and Frederick Taylor, the researchers will conduct a
survey.

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Significance of the Study

Street catcalling is a rapidly spreading problem in our society today. That is why
this study will be beneficial to a lot of people.

The following are the people who will benefit with this study:
Female Students. This research will make them more enlightened about catcalling. The
next time that they will encounter one, they know what action they should do, because
they will know their rights.
Male Students. They will be informed that catcalling makes a woman uncomfortable, it
is not the right thing to do when they want to compliment a woman. They will also find
out the negative effects of catcalling on a victim, as a result, they will be careful with
their actions next time for they have their loved one who can also be a victim.
Parents will be aware of the dangerous situation in our streets nowadays. They will take
good care of their daughters more.
Teachers will have more knowledge about the issue in our society, which they can use to
spread safety and awareness.
School Administrators. They will be aware of the experiences that could possibly affect
the students’ performance in the school. They will be able to make an action to resolve
this problem or issue.
Future Researchers. They can use this research as their reference for their future
research.

Definition of Terms
1. Catcalling - make a whistle, shout, or comment of a sexual nature to a woman
passing by.
2. Sexual harassment - behavior characterized by the making of unwelcome and
inappropriate sexual remarks or physical advances in a workplace or other
professional or social situation.
3. Sexual abuse - also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one
person upon another.
4. Catcaller – someone who performs catcalling.

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5. Compliment - a polite expression of praise or admiration.

6. Victim - a person harmed, injured, or killed as a result of a crime, accident, or
other event or action.
7. Mental health - a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and
emotional well-being.
8. Self-esteem - is an individual's subjective evaluation of their own worth.
9. Physical appearance - is the outward phenotype or look of human beings.
10. Awareness - knowledge or perception of a situation or fact

CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
This chapter presents the literatures and studies which are closely related to the study
indicated. These cited information are included by the researchers for the development of
the study.
Related Literature
Foreign
Holland and Stratemeye (2017) stated that “women reported a variety of reactions to the
harassers ranging from non-confrontational to highly confrontational. Sometimes women
just ignored the harassment. At other times, they reacted, for example, by staring back at
the harasser, hitting him, or shouting at him. For each woman, the decision to confront
the harasser was based on certain considerations such as whether she was in a familiar
place, whether she was with an elder person, or whether the harasser had crossed a
certain line. At times, women chose to move away from harassers due to fears that the
situation might escalate further. Although several reasons have been identified in Western
studies for why women will not react in these situations, including societal pressure;
concern about being called a feminist; fear of retaliation; or fear of being perceived as
impolite, aggressive, or non-feminine (Swim & Hyers, 1999), the main reason given by
participants in this study was fear of escalation. This is not surprising in light of the
attacks on women we discussed earlier on.
Some women also said that they did not want to ‘create a scene.’ Appearing impolite,
aggressive, or unfeminine were not mentioned at all. Most women believed that
bystanders would be unsupportive in such situations because they were busy or because
harassment did not impact their lives.”

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Potylitsina and Pena (2017) explain that “Catcalling is the reason you are worried about
walking alone at night, it’s the reason you memorize self-defense techniques from videos
just in case, and it’s something we can all relate to but absolutely hate talking about:
street harassment and catcalling. In a 2014 street harassment study, researchers found that
65% of women and 25% of men reported experiencing at least one type of street
harassment. What’s even scarier is that about 50% of those who reported experiencing
harassment reported experiencing street harassment by age 17. It seems like catcalling
has become normalized, but such street harassment can affect the emotional wellbeing of
those who experience it. Often enough men will defend catcalling, saying that it is simply
a compliment or ‘they can’t help themselves’. We are here to give you some theories as
to why men catcall and continue to do so, some more funny and some more serious.

“The sexual harassment of women is extremely widespread and has been found to
negatively impact women’s workplace productivity, emotionality, and relations with
family (Celik, 2007). Present-day statistics from the Indian subcontinent depict a deeply
disturbing picture of women’s lives. A report on crimes against women in India by the
National Crimes Records Bureau shows that 8,233 cases of dowry deaths, 38,262 cases of
kidnapping and abduction, and 24,923 cases of rape were reported in the year 2012 alone
(National Crime Records Bureau Ministry of Home Affairs, 2012). It must be kept in
mind that the actual number of criminal offenses committed against women is far higher
than these statistics reveal. Many crimes, in particular those that involve sexual violence
remain vastly underreported due to a variety of reasons including shame, stigma, the fear
of retaliation, insensitivity of the police, long and complicated legal procedures, low
conviction rates and an overarching culture of impunity.

Local
As stated by Rodrigo (2017), “Women, girls and members of LGBT+ in the Philippines
continue to face the terrifying experience of being catcalled on the street and other public
spaces. This can make the experience, for the both local and tourists, not fun!
Fortunately, in the recent years, there is a growing recognition of the issue of gender-
based harassment most apparent in catcalling. This can be attributed to a number of
factors such as the rise of the LGBT+ movement and the availability of awareness
promotion instruments such as the social media.
Platforms such as Facebook, blogs and interactive online news provide venue for
discussion and exchange. In the Philippines, an ally of the stop street harassment
movement is a public Facebook page called "Catcalled in the Philippines" founded in
June 2016. In an interview I conducted with creator Raymond Peter Campiglio, he said
he felt the need to provide a platform for people who suffer catcalling and other forms of

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abuse in public spaces. For him, there is a ‘lack of empathy and understanding regarding
acts of personal violation.’ It is also his intention to show that catcalling is not an isolated
incident or happens because of the victim's fault, but a social issue that prevalent and
must therefore be addressed.”

“Human rights are good example. Women’s rights are better example. There are
stipulations in international documents such as the UN Charter speaking to the equal
rights of women. It needs action. It’s the same everywhere on that basic need to translate
abstract ethics into practical morals. Take, for example, the situation in the Philippines.
Some things are good; other things are bad. But these are loose statements, and can differ
from the enactment of women’s rights, including advocacy and empowerment in the
country. So what is the current state of women’s rights in the Philippines? What’s good
and bad, and how can things improve?
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner says, “Women’s sexual and
reproductive health is related to multiple human rights, including the right to life, the
right to be free from torture, the right to health, the right to privacy, the right to
education, and the prohibition of discrimination.” Jacobsen (2017)

As Tripon (2008) instructs from the Philippines Human Rights Reporting Project, women
have fought for a very long time to be considered human beings deserving of human
rights. Filipino women earned the right to vote only as recently as 1937. Rural and
Indigenous women are even more vulnerable.
The Philippines continues to lag significantly behind in some aspects. Filipino women are
empowered, development studies say. However, matters of the heart and the vagina do
not seem to be included in this empowerment. Even with anti-Violence Against Women
(VAW) campaigns by the government, Filipinas are still affected by gender-based
violence, which is not limited to socioeconomic or educational status. This includes, but
is not limited to, sex trafficking, forced prostitution, and sexual harassment in schools,
the workplace, and on the street. Instances of this last one can be seen in Catcalled in the
Philippines, a Facebook page where people can anonymously submit personal accounts
of harassment.

Related Studies

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Foreign
(Fisher, Lindner, Ferguson, 2017) found out that the “Previous research has shown that
sexual harassment has potential influence on women’s well-being and body image. This
study evaluated the effects of exposure to catcalling, which is the specific instance of
sexual harassment on the street by strangers, on women’s state body image and state self-
objectification. The participants were randomized into experimental and control groups
and were pre-tested to determine their state body image and self-objectification. The
participants then watched one of two videos. The experimental video included four
women being catcalled by a man while they walked down the street. The control video
was set up on the exact same street, with the exact same women, but without the
catcalling.

Finally, participants completed a post-test questionnaire to measure their state body

image and self-objectification as well as their trait body image and self-objectification.
Results showed that there were no significant differences between the control and
experimental groups regarding either body image or self-objectification. Bayes factor
analyses confirmed the results as null.”

“The alarming frequency with which women face stranger harassment (i.e., catcalling)
calls for further understanding of how they cope with it, and the present research sought
to examine coping strategies within the context of system justification theory (Jost and
Banaji 1994). They found that self-esteem negatively predicted both: (a) women’s
benign attributions for stranger harassment and (b) women’s propensity to engage in self-
blame following stranger harassment encounters. Thesecond study found that ambivalent
attitudes toward women (i.e., benevolent and hostile sexism) differentially predicted the
degree to which men believed that women should engage in active coping; hostile sexism
negatively predicted active coping, while benevolent sexism positively predicted it.
Hostile sexism also positively predicted the degree to which men believed that women
should make benign attributions, blame themselves, and employ passive coping strategies
when harassed by strangers. These results suggest that the ways in which women cope
with stranger harassment (and the way that men felt that a stranger harassment victim
should cope with her encounter) tended to result from their status quo-legitimizing
ideologies about gender relations.” (Saunders, Scaturro, Guarino, Kelly, 2017)

O'Leary (2016) explains that, “Due to the lack of research surrounding the topic of
catcalling, it is essential to give voice to women who have experienced the harm, its
effects, and those who perceive it as a societal issue. This study generates discourse

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regarding Midwestern women's standpoints on catcalling through in-depth respondent

interviews about women's experiences and perceptions of catcalling. Thematic analysis of
the interviews reveals that catcalling is complex.
Women conceptualized catcalling as a primarily negative experience as they associated it
with negative emotions and affective states. Women never described catcalling as
complimentary, rather, they believed that men perceived their own comments to be
compliments.
Specifically, the data revealed that women feel that their experiences and perceptions of
catcalling are discounted by men and society as catcalling continues to be framed as
complimentary.”

Local
As studied by (Magtalas and Sing 2016) “A survey conducted by MCASA (2015) shows
that by the age of 19, 90% of all women have experienced street harassment. In the
Philippines, it is during this age that women are in college (UNESCO,2011).
Studies show that women conform to these norms through the limitations given to
themselves (O'Niell, 2013). Street- harassment may have an impact on women's
perception of safety.”

De Guzman (2015) found out that “the difference of catcalling and harassment is that the
latter is more inclusive that it "also encompasses non-verbal conduct and behavior such
as grabs, pinches, groping, obstructing walking paths, stalking and physically threatening
gestures.
These limit the victim's set of choices, particularly that of the freedom to decide how
they look and where they move, which are, it goes without saying, basic rights of
individuals and citizens. In fact even when women dress conservatively, they are still
being subject to street harassment.”

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As studied by Manalo et al (2016), “Catcalling is not just uttered words of compliment

but can be considered as degrading and objectifying comments that have a negative
impact on women's Psychological being.
Women feel more conscious and ashamed about their body parts that led to self-
objectification on women because as they experience this they felt anxious about how
their body was evaluated by strangers.”

Synthesis
The review of the related literature and studies showcased that catcalling is really evident
and widespread happening nowadays, not only in our country, but worldwide. These
literatures and studies also show that women have different kinds of experiences about
catcalling, they also have different ways on how to react and deal with it. This study
borrowed concepts and information from these noted persons in order to prove and
support the importance and relevance of the research.

CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY AND SOURCES OF DATA

The Research Design

This study used qualitative method, because in order to accomplish the study we needed
both survey and written interview.
Survey is important in order to know who among the respondents have experienced
catcalling. Written interview is needed to be able to know deeper about the experiences
of the victims and their views about it.

Respondents
The researchers will be using purposive sampling in this study. They will conduct the
survey to the females within the three sections of Accountancy, Business and
Management in Saint Francis of Assisi College College Las Piñas Campus. The sections

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are Peter Drucker (ABM1), Tim Cook (ABM 2), and Frederick Taylor (ABM3). Peter
Drucker has 29 female, Tim Cook has 30 female, and Frederick Taylor has 29 female.
Which will give the researchers a total of 88 respondents.

Research Instrument
Using survey and written interview is necessary and essential in conducting this research.
Survey is important in order to have and know our respondents. Through survey, we will
be able to recognize the victims of catcalling. With the written interview we will know
more about their experiences and views about catcalling.
The researchers used enhanced survey questionnaires and written interview to examine
the experiences of the grade 11 Accountancy, Business and Management students who
have encountered catcalling.
The researchers made sure that survey questionnaires and written interview are enough
to gather information regarding the experiences and opinions of the participants.

Data Gathering Procedure

In order to perform tests to give out the result of the study, one of the most important
things to have is the data gathered. Initially, the researchers provided a letter that will
serve as a permission to conduct the research in Saint Francis of Assisi College Main
Campus, specifically in the female students of grade 11 Accountancy, Business and
Management. Once the research adviser approved the letter, it will be directed to the head
of research department of the mentioned school. The researchers will explain the essence
of the study to the respondents. The respondents will be given a survey questionnaire, in
order for the researchers to know who among them have experienced catcalling.

Plan for Data Analysis

The researchers will thoroughly analyze the answers of the respondents. The answer will
be categorized based on its essence. The researchers will set keywords for each questions

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and then will deeply understand the and find where will it be under. After all the
categorizing, computing the results and drawing out conclusions will be done.

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