TW: sexual assault
For anyone who hasn’t heard of the term, ‘upskirting’ refers to the act of taking a photo of up someone’s skirt (or other piece of clothing) without their knowledge or consent. It is an incredibly intrusive practice, often targeting victims in public places where there are lots of people and it’s easy to hide a phone and take photos discreetly – such as on public transport, on escalators, or in nightclubs. So, how common is upskirting? Who is at risk? Is it a punishable the offence?
How common is upskirting?
The honest answer it, nobody really knows. A lot of upskirting incidents may not be reported, especially as busy public places makes it difficult to identify the perpetrator or find any evidence. It is also possible that a large majority of upskirting offences happen without the victim ever being aware of it.
What we do know, however, is the general attitude of the public when it comes to upskirting. Believe it or not, 15% of 25 – 34 year old men don’t consider upskirting to be under sexual harassment (GQ).
We can also look at the situation in other countries, to predict how common upskirting may be in the UK. For example, in Japan, upskirting and other ‘voyeur’ photographs are so common that the shutter sound on mobile phones is permanently on and cannot be switched off. Police have also reported an increase in discreet camera being installed on people’s shoes, so they can simply place their foot in the right position to be able to film up someone’s skirt. It’s an incredibly disturbing practice and it seems as though perpetrators will go to some lengths to be able to invade someone’s privacy for their own sexual gratification.
With over 90% of women in the UK admitting that they have been sexually harassed, it is fair to say that upskirting is likely to be a far more common experience than many believe.
Who is at risk?
Anyone, of any gender, age, or sexuality, could be at risk of upskirting. Perpetrators will often look for skirts and dresses, especially when the victim is not wearing tights or anything underneath.
Is upskirting a criminal offence?
In 2017, a woman named Gina Martin was upskirted at a music festival. She reported the violating incident to the police and was shocked to learn that upskirting was not a specific offence and that there was not really anything that the police could do. Gina Martin set out to change the law, starting a campaign called #StopSkirtingTheIssue.
As of 2019, upskirting became a specific criminal offence in the UK. Under the Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019, perpetrators convicted of upskirting can face up to 2 years in prison. Within the first year of this new law, ten men were convicted for sixteen upskirting offences. Surprisingly, 11 out of 16 of these offences happened in retail stores. Scarily, there was evidence that some of these men had researched online how to conceal cameras, arming themselves with knowledge before setting out to invade someone’s privacy and take obscene photographs of them.
---- Allana Bennison, Head of Welfare
For more information about upskirting and the experience of victims, have a look at these links:
