Male Cardiff students jokingly tag mates in Overheard posts about harassment

“They might think it’s a joke but who’s laughing realistically”


A group of male students who are members of the Facebook page ‘Overheard at Cardiff University’ have been tagging friends in a post concerning harassment, using the allegations as a basis for a joke.

The post details the experience of a student who was “chased” and “hissed” at twice by a man in the Cathays area.

Although the comments were largely filled with messages of support and consolation, there was a noticeable trend of male students tagging their friends, with the suggestion that they may be responsible for the harassment.

Many people criticised these comments, labelling them “insensitive” for attempting to make light of what is a serious matter. Others pointed out the “odd” humour and lack of “original jokes”.

Members of the Cardiff ‘Women Walking Home’ group chat, created to ensure female students in Cardiff have a safe space if ever they feel in danger while walking home, have addressed the comments on Overheard. They stated that men joking about these situations with their mates “completely invalidates the girls making the posts”.

One student told The Cardiff Tab: “It’s so awful that you can’t even walk in broad daylight anymore without being scared something might happen to you”, while another added “it is! and the fact that no one else is taking it seriously!”

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Feature Image: Geronmio Giqueaux/Unplash