45 Times Amazing Women Brilliantly Shut Down Men’s Creepy Advances

It’s bad enough that many women feel unsafe walking around outside of their homes. Even online, they experience various forms of creepy advances from men, whether privately or otherwise. 

According to a 2020 report, 58 percent of girls and young women have experienced some form of harassment while online. 

It may seem easier to shut down an online creep than it is to do so face-to-face. However, it may not be as simple. As licensed marriage and family therapist Amanda Ferrara tells Bored Panda, women will need to consider potential consequences they may experience after rejecting someone. 

“Before sending a single sentence, online rejection involves weighing the risks,” Ferrara said. “How might this person respond? How might they escalate? How might they continue to push?”

Ferrara adds that many of her clients spend “a great deal of time” crafting a single sentence. Their goal is more about minimizing the risk of retaliation than softening the rejection.

If you’re someone who regularly experiences these forms of harassment online, Ferrara says “clarity without emotional engagement” often delivers the best results. This simply means that brief, straightforward statements of rejection work better than long-winded ones that include explanations. 

“The more words we use to explain, the more opportunities we have to keep the interaction going,” she said.

Actions hold more weight than words, and it applies to deterring creepy advances, according to Ferrara. She noted that rejection often doesn’t deter the other party from pushing the issue further. Instead, she recommends taking the next step and changing privacy settings. 

“The more effective option has been a short rejection and then moving away from the issue very quickly, all for the aim of limiting the other party’s access,” she said.