“The Grey Line”

A thought provoking  topic, is covered within this work. A topic of which, is only just beginning to be talked about more openly world wide. 

Personally I am very passionate about this topic of sexual harassment and assault, it has happened to myself, many other friends and family members, way to regularly. The topic until recently has been some what of a taboo in society, meaning assaults have been pushed to one side, not talked about for too long. 

Many people do not understand that there is a fine line between what is not and what is sexual harassment and assault, so much so that many people who are perpetrators or victims in the situation do not actually know if what they are doing or what has happened to them is sexual assault.  

Thereby leading to the “The Grey Line”. When people do not know if what has happened can be reported, leading it to be left for them to deal with and deliberate over and over again in their heads. Many feel they have to be left to recover on their own, scared people will not support or understand what it is they are going through and have been through. 

Different types of sexual harassment have come to a point of being considered normal, now when they are not. Many people believe that there is a scale on which to measure how serious a harassment or assault is but in reality they are all just as important as one another. All of which need to be handled with an equal seriousness across, all harassment and assaults. Although each is unique and has unique impacts on the individual in question this, thereby emphasises that they are all as serious as each other. 

One example is catcalling, which is considered minor and normal by many in society, but it is anything but. If these instances are not dealt with perpetrators have the power to consider doing worse down the line. What starts of as small harassment, leads to full on assault and then to rape.

Having never been told what they are doing is wrong and they then push to what they feel they can get away with. This can be prevented if all aspects are taken as seriously, treated equally and taught to society from a young age. 

Harassment and assaults have a huge impact on those they are inflicted upon, many leading to mental health issues and suicide. This work highlights on the inner emotions of the survivors, who have made it through what they consider the most traumatic experience of their lives. 

They have shared their stories with us as a way of creating awareness of the impact these events have on you afterwards whether they can been seen or not. The emotions are raw and true and give the audience an inside look into how serious every case is, no matter how different it is, it is  just as serious as the last. A number of different, genders, ages and sexual orientations, have helped by providing their stories. Enhancing that assault does not happen to one type of person it can  happen to everyone and can happen anywhere. 

The overall aim of the project is to create a wider awareness and discussion on the topic and how in society aspects of each have now become normal or situations where people say that just happens or its a compliment. The survivors who have shared their stories with me have wanted to share them to enact change, share their feelings and adapt how society teaches children of a young age that sometimes these things just happen.