Courtesy of Huffington Post.

Much of what gets me through college, through the stresses of a social and academic life and the amount of expectations placed upon me, is music. I‰’m an avid music fan, and I‰’m not the only one. There are hundreds of college students who rely on music as their source of relief, and attending concerts throughout their college towns is our way to carry this experience even further. 

There’s something about being immersed in a crowd of people that share the same love for an artist, something about the beat echoing from all sides of your being that makes the bodies in a venue sync in rhythm. It‰’s an indescribable feeling where nothing else matters but the music. There‰’s a unique connection between strangers, a bond with the sounds that lightly thump the pit of your chest and resonate movement through your veins.

But I‰’m scared to see my favorite artists in concert.

I am very scared.

Let that sink in for a minute.

How absurd is the idea that I should be concerned for my well-being before and while I watch my favorite artists on stage?

Never should a musical bond with strangers amount to touching or harassment of any kind, but in many cases it does and it is overlooked by venue staff. The problem with concert venues is that they work like nightclubs, but no one ever dares make that correlation because such mention would devalue the primary focus on music that concert venues like to “prioritize‰Û.

Perhaps the biggest evidence of this aspect are the bouncers hired to stand in the front and actively reject anyone they please based on grounds sometimes obvious like fake identification, but also sometimes vague and unexplained. Most venues offer alcohol and a hired staff to control the crowd and ensure their safety. However, I have witnessed a significant priority placed on busting underage drinking rather than controlling the behaviors of those legal enough to drink but not sober enough to properly function. For some reason, especially at concerts, staff fails to address these invasions. They are too busy concerned with busting underage drinking that those who have 21 and up stamps on their hands are merely overlooked.

Multiple times I have been groped while in the crowd of a concert. The first couple of times I began to think that this must be an accidental happening given the fact that at some shows people are packed like a can of sardines. But when should we draw the line?

I sat down with two AU librarians to see if there was any research on sexual harassment during concerts.

There was nothing. Not even a small article, a small mention, nothing.

The lack of research definitely does not mean that this is not a serious issue, but I was disappointed to see that it was not being properly discussed in an academic environment, which is why I wrote this article; I am trying to encourage you to speak up about this problem.

When the library failed me, I next asked WVAU members if they had ever been groped at concerts, which is only one small example of sexual harassment. To no surprise, many replied with yes. One person even messaged me with her personal experience (she wished to remain anonymous): “I was at the House of Blues one night and there was a guy who wouldn’t stop following me and trying to touch me. I eventually left early because I didn’t want him to follow me onto the street or anything.‰Û 

This traumatizing experience has caused her to miss out on many concerts because no one would accompany her to provide some sort of safety factor. What is even more problematic is that when she reached out to House of Blues regarding the incident, they said it was an “unavoidable‰” occurrence. Not only does this reply further prove the lack of action taken by venues to prevent harassment, but discourages victims from speaking out about their experiences because the venues take no interest in further investigation.

I emailed U Street Music Hall a couple of weeks back about the protocol they follow when they kick someone out, the kind of complaints they receive and if they are kept on some kind of database to prevent further disruptions. I was never contacted back, even after attempts to tweet them directly.

I‰’m still scared to see my favorite artists in concerts. No one and nothing can stop that fear until this topic is brought to light and discussed. For the countless amounts of women suffering from this same fear, I want to tell you that you are not alone, and I also want to tell you to speak up. Do not think for one second that this is just another part of the concert experience, because it doesn‰’t have to be.