Behind the Music: Confronting Sexual Harassment in Festival Culture
- GINA
- Jul 16, 2024
- 4 min read
Music festivals are a key piece of British summer events, but their unique characteristics, such as crowded stage areas, have made them ‘hotbeds’ for sexual harassment, according to The Telegraph. A study by Durham University Law School reveals that festivals often foster a toxic, laddish culture marked by heavy alcohol and drug use. Combined with crowded areas, shared campsites in dimly lit spaces, and inadequate surveillance, this environment has been described as 'conducive' to harassment and sexual assault. This behaviour has become normalised, with one woman interviewed during the study calling festivals a ‘drive-by’ for sexual harassment and assault, where perpetrators can quickly disappear after committing their acts. The study found that one-third of female festival-goers have been sexually harassed, and 8% have been sexually assaulted.
Incidents of harassment and assault range from verbal abuse to groping, sexual assault, and rape, with unwanted groping and touching in crowded areas being the most common. Interviewees noted that sexual misconduct is often ignored, creating a culture where such violence is 'normalised and sometimes trivialised by friends'.
However, there seems to be an increasing movement towards stamping out sexually harassing behaviour. The Association of Independent Festivals relaunched its Safer Spaces At Festivals campaign in May 2022, aiming to address sexual violence, harassment, and assault. Over 100 festivals have committed to this initiative, which emphasises that sexual misconduct will be taken seriously and addressed promptly. The campaign also supports the government's 'Enough' initiative, which tackles all forms of violence against women and girls.
The Safer Spaces campaign encourages festival-goers to promote safety by being active bystanders and fostering a culture of respect. This includes avoiding sexual banter, saying ‘excuse me’ when moving past people, respecting personal space, and holding friends accountable for inappropriate behaviour. Other organisations are also working to improve safety at festivals. 'Safe Gigs for Women' and the 'Good Night Out Campaign' train festival staff on responding to reports of sexual assault, conduct research to re-educate the public, and provide support areas at festivals for victims.
Spiking has also become a prevalent issue at festivals, with some perpetrators aiming to commit drug-facilitated sexual assault. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 categorises spiking as a serious crime, with offenders potentially facing up to 10 years in prison. To combat this, some festivals offer testing kits to identify spiked drinks, although these are not universally available. The Safer Spaces campaign provides tips on helping keep safe from spiking, such as never accepting drinks from strangers and not leaving drinks unattended.
The ‘Stamp Out Spiking’ charity conducts research and workshops to highlight the dangers of spiking and offer practical solutions to help combat and prevent spiking offences at events. Despite efforts made by associations, interviews with female festival-goers show that the progress in eradicating sexual abuse and spiking at festivals is slow, and more severe action is needed by festival managers to ensure the safety of attendees. While progress is pending women have unfortunately adapted their behaviour to help keep themselves safe. Interviewees report that using a 'festival buddy' system by identifying a trustworthy friend, keeping together, and looking out for each other has made them feel more secure in attending events.
Certain companies have developed products to help individuals prevent and identify spiking offences. The series 'Stay Close', a Netflix adaptation of Harlan Coben's thriller, sparked a conversation in regard to anti-spiking products, as a character was seen to use a nail polish which, when dipped in a spiked drink, turned from yellow to black. Unfortunately, the online hunt for this product revealed that it does not exist due to the challenges companies faced in creating it. However, other products exist for sale to detect or protect against spiking. 'StopTopps' and 'Spikeys' are two products that can help keep festival attendees safe. Their products include protective sticker covers and bottle tops that prevent drinks from being tampered with. However, other companies have developed products that detect spiked drinks, such as the 'Drink Check', which has created a wristband to wear. When suspicions arise, a small dab of the drink on an area of the band will show in 2 minutes whether the drink has been spiked by turning blue. They can be bought in multipacks and are compatible with various beverages, including hot or cold and soft or alcohol.
Despite the collaboration of festivals with initiatives like the Safer Spaces campaign, and efforts by organisations such as ‘Safe Gigs for Women’ being steps in the right direction, they seem to be insufficient in eradicating sexual abuse offences at events. Although methods such as anti-spiking products and women adapting their behaviour can help improve the feeling of safety, the responsibility to prevent sexual offenses should not rest on the potential victims but on the festival organisers.
In order to eliminate sexual offences it is imperative that more robust measures are implemented to prevent these offenses from happening in the first place. Festivals must invest in better security, thorough staff training, and clear policies that make it unequivocally known that sexual misconduct will not be tolerated. Only through proactive and comprehensive action can we hope to create a festival environment where everyone can feel safe and enjoy the music without fear.
E. Bieler
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