Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, notes, “Male violence against women and girls is nothing new, and these so-called trends are simply coordinated forms of harassment and violence against women facilitated by the rapid spread of misogyny online.”
It is, of course, disturbing. “As a clinical psychologist, I’m not just disturbed by the violence,” Masotti goes on. In her opinion, the trend stems from a particularly dark psychological belief — the belief that women don’t deserve the space they occupy. “I’m struck by what this trend exposes: a deeper, systemic discomfort with women taking up space,” she says.
The attacks stem from a misogynistic belief that women shouldn’t take up space — particularly the same space — as their male counterparts. And, in turn, they are designed to make women feel humiliated to have tried to take up that space in the first place.
“These attacks reinforce something deep and dangerous,” she adds. “That female presence, especially physical presence, is a threat to be neutralised. It’s about power. And humiliation. It’s about reminding women, in a visceral way, that their bodies don’t belong in public.”
She goes on, “When women are subject to public humiliation or physical aggression, it doesn’t just bruise the skin. It bruises identity. It tells them, on a nervous system level, ‘Shrink. Hide. Be smaller.’”
Not only does the ‘bumping man’ trend present very real, physical danger for women, it also represents the terrifying, but steady shift in the culture: a growing subculture is actively promoting not only the idea that women should be confined to certain spaces, but that random acts of violence against women will make men to feel better about themselves.
It all sounds a bit like The Handmaid’s Tale — and it’s yet another sign that we must take the rise of misogyny as seriously as we can.
“Men and boys are being served content that condones or promotes violence against women, even when they’re not looking for it, and we’re seeing mountains of evidence about its impact on attitudes and behaviours,” says Simon. “We need to see urgent action to prevent violence against women and girls by countering harmful attitudes and behaviours through education in schools and by holding accountable the tech companies profiting from misogyny and abuse.”
In the short term, what can women do if it happens to them? And what is being done to stop it?
The first step is to report it — even though it may feel pointless, it’s important. A National Police Chiefs’ Council spokesperson says, “Women have the right to feel safe going about their daily lives and should not have to fear harassment or abuse. We would encourage anyone who believes they have been assaulted or harassed to report it to the police so we can take action and investigate.”
Experiencing this type of assault can also take a psychological toll, leaving women feeling unsafe and unstable in their own bodies.
“If you’ve experienced being ‘bumped’ or felt your safety shaken in public, know this,” says Bloome. “You are not crazy and that was not an accident. You are allowed to take up space — physically, emotionally, professionally. And you don’t need to shrink to feel safe. We need to change the culture, not our[selves].”