Following the story of 23 year old Poppy Smart who called the police after she was wolf whistled- One Pulse decided to ask around and find out if other women are as equally enraged by the act as she was.
But what if is was a female builder wolf whistling at a man?
More females between 16 and 34 are wolf whistled in public, which drops off after 35 plus, so it would seem the whistlers are particular about who they make noise to.
There was a mixture of emotions in response to this- most were embarrassed, 24% felt it was cringe worthy, 19% laughed it off, 17% took it as a compliment, 6% were angry and 5% were offended. So it would seem that Poppy's reaction is usually the opposite of what most women feel. That said- it doesn't make her complaint any less valid.
Most women see it as a positive rather than a negative with only a third seeing it as offensive. But it does beg the question- have women come to expect it when they are walking down the street alone? Does it give them an ego boost? Would they be disappointed when the whistling suddenly stopped- making them feel less attractive to the opposite sex?
And who are the worst offenders? Stereotypically, builders have had a lot of bad press concerning this, with 65% of women agreeing they have a bad habit of whistling as a woman walks by.
When asked about their feelings directly after- there were a number of different reactions;
'As long as it's not crude it does not worry me.'
'When was younger I loved the attention but now at 25 I find it embarrassing and degrading.'
'We all have the right to walk down the street without a bunch of imbeciles behaving like toddlers!'
When the women were asked if they found it a compliment or simply offensive, again their opinions were varied;
' If it is someone of a similar age.'
'Depends on the situation for some people- most of the time it's offensive to me, makes me feel uncomfortable.'
'I think it showing off in front of the lads. A discrete wink is much more flattering. I don't think men understand though, I don't think the realise it's offensive.'
'It's simply rude. End of.'
When I posed this to the men in the office, they had a different approach. One said he hated wolf whistling as a whole because it doesn't leave the person feeling the way it was intended. He also said it was an old fashioned way of showing someone they are attracted to them. So it is just that? A coward's way out? A sign of affection that needs to stop?
Another said it depends who it is. If they were to turn around and find there was a mutual attraction- it might be considered a compliment. However, if it was by someone they were not attracted to, it could be deemed a bad thing.
Have you been wolf whistled? How did it make you feel? Angry? Or was it a massage for your ego?