Sussex teen speaks out about her experiences of street harassment
There are calls for it to be made a criminal offence.
A teenager from Sussex is sharing her experiences of being harassed in the street, as calls go out for it to become a criminal offence.
It comes as there has been a sharp rise in the number of young women and girls being harassed on the streets.
Half of 14 to 21 year-olds experienced unwelcome attention over the summer, compared to one in five during the spring lockdown.
Gemma Tutton, a 15 year-old from Lewes, has started a petition which has already been signed more than 221,000 times.
Gemma has recalled one experience with a group of men harassing her on the street:
"I turned around to them and I said 'I'm 13, please leave me alone'.
"And they almost found it funny, they were laughing to each other and they said to me 'age doesn't matter to us'.
"That really terrified me.
"It lays like a weight on my chest every time I go outside.
"I'm angry that I feel as though it's my fault.
"I'm scared because they're telling me they don't care that I'm 13 years old.
"I'm resentful.
"It's so many emotions all in one."
Gemma and her sister, 21 year-old Maya, believe that "making it a criminal offence will empower victims of harassment to report incidents, and dissuade harassers".
The petition can be read in full and signed online.