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From Fear to Framework: How HASSL Is Tackling Harassment at the Root

Updated: Sep 5

By Erin-Louise

5 Sept 2025


Moving beyond survival tactics to systemic change—Amy, founder of HASSL, on redefining harassment as everyone’s responsibility.


Every woman I know has a checklist. Key between fingers. Headphones turned down low. Share your location. Text me when you’re home safe. It’s second nature–these small rituals we do without thinking, designed to protect us in a world that too often doesn’t.


My first experience came when I was 13, walking to a friend’s house. A white van drove past, then slowed, then turned to circle back toward me. Two men leaned out of the window, shouting as they crawled past. I couldn’t tell you the words they used, but I remember the feeling–the sudden stillness in my body, the rush of panic in my chest. I remember looking down at my clothes. Was it my pink top? My skinny jeans? Even then, I understood the unspoken rule: I was the problem to be solved.


That moment stayed with me, not just because of the fear, but because of the lesson it taught so early—that safety was something I had to manage, and harassment was something to be endured.


Well...



We're done accepting that.


With a background in entrepreneurship, start-ups, and the social impact sector, Amy has channelled her experience into founding HASSL—a social enterprise reframing harassment as a societal issue, not a woman’s burden. Under her leadership, HASSL has evolved into a platform that provides resources, training, and a global platform for action, with one goal: to move us beyond survival tactics and toward lasting, systemic change.


The enterprise isn’t even a year old, yet it has already built a community of more than 425,000 people across TikTok and Instagram. Clearly, Amy’s message resonates.


People aren’t just following—they’re engaging, sharing, and demanding change. With this momentum behind her, we had the privilege of speaking to Amy about why men need to be part of the solution, what actions go beyond “covering our drinks” and “holding keys in our hands,” and how everyone can play a role in the shift.


Q&A with Amy

Founder of Hassl


For those who are just hearing about HASSL for the first time — how would you describe its mission in one sentence?


I always say that HASSL is all about redirecting the responsibility for harassment away from women and onto society as a whole. That kind of summarises our mission, I guess in one line, but it's about collective responsibility – eventually trying to rewrite this narrative of it's up to women to do certain things to keep themselves safe and not addressing the root causes of why this continues to happen.


Can you tell us the story behind HASSL — what inspired you to create a space that tackles harassment from the root?


I think, apart from being a woman, I'm relatively privileged in that I’m white, straight and able-bodied. I always kind of felt this “justice sensitivity” – that I did nothing to earn the privilege I have, I just got lucky. I always knew I wanted to do something to make a difference and to not waste that privilege.


Alongside that, I’ve always had a passion for entrepreneurship. When I was younger, I didn’t know that’s what it was, but I was always doing different things. I did entrepreneurship groups at school, studied entrepreneurial business management, and had a couple of my own small businesses, always with some kind of social impact initiative attached.


Amy - Founder of HASSL

I graduated during Covid, and my plan to start a face-to-face social enterprise in Newcastle for young girls from vulnerable backgrounds went out the window. I ended up working in London startups for a couple of years, and I’ve experienced harassment myself so much – the groping, the following. In London especially, you constantly have the same conversations with other women about it, and we normalise it so much: “Oh this creep followed me home, classic.”


In my last job, women on my team would say things happened to them on their commute, and it frustrated me that we’re just expected to accept this, especially in a “progressive” country. Everything I found to solve the problem put more mental and financial burden on women — self-defence tools, safety apps — which, while well-intentioned, repeat the narrative that if something happens, it’s because we didn’t do enough, instead of asking why it happens in the first place and holding perpetrators accountable.


I wanted to tackle it from a completely different angle — addressing the root cause and changing the narrative around responsibility. Charities and governments often have their own agendas or short-term focus, but I knew this needed long-term systemic change.


One of the things we love about HASSL is that it's not about teaching women — it's about changing the system. Why is that distinction so important?


So I think, firstly, a lot of the time, men aren’t invited into the conversation. You see a lot of women’s safety brands that target women, but to me, we’re never going to solve this problem if we don’t involve men. Unfortunately, it is a gendered issue, and statistically, the perpetrators are men. A lot of these problems stem from sexism, misogyny, and the patriarchy, so we have to acknowledge them as a gendered problem.


I never felt like men were really invited into the conversation. And whilst I don’t think we should be putting the responsibility on individuals to keep themselves safe, I think it’s everyone’s responsibility to do better. We try and meet people on a scale from perpetrator all the way to advocate, and ask: where is this person sat, and how do we move them up even a little bit to create a safer world?


It’s not about going straight to perpetrators and turning them into advocates — that’s rare. It’s about the systemic, societal shift. There are people who may not be perpetrators, but enable harmful behaviour, or do smaller things that contribute to the problem — and women do it too. It has to be a societal change.

For as long as we know, women have tried to make themselves safe. And while things like self-defence products or safety apps might make you feel safer in the moment, they don’t solve the problem. Prevention and collective action are what matter. It’s not going to work if it’s just women saying let’s do something — it has to be everyone.


A lot of men don’t realize how bad it is, or the daily impact it has. Women often don’t tell the men closest to them — fathers, partners, brothers — the worst experiences, because it’s painful and we don’t want to make them feel bad.


"But that silence perpetuates the problem. We have to give men the opportunity to know how bad it is, and invite them to be part of the change."


That’s why we’re different — we do involve men, and we create open conversation. Following us, showing up, engaging — those are starting points. From there, we can give people the tools to improve, rather than saying “you’ll never change.” That’s the approach we take.


So much of the safety conversation still revolves around what women should do — don’t walk home alone, cover your drink, hold your keys. How do we begin to shift this conversation to the people actually causing harm?


We have a little framework called HELP — four things anyone can do to tackle the root causes on an individual level. The areas we focus on are: poor public space design, lack of awareness and systemic sexism, misogyny, and barriers to reporting.


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H is for Hear — making space to listen to people’s stories. Not just sharing your own, but hearing from women disproportionately affected, like women of colour, black women, and disabled women. It’s about opening up and really listening to those experiences.


E is for Empower — breaking down barriers to reporting. Many women don’t report, not just because they don’t trust the system, but because of stigma, sometimes even from family and friends. Even a “harmless” joke about a woman in the news can stop someone close to you from opening up. Empowering means showing support, being careful with your words, and creating space where people feel safe to tell their story.


L is for Lead — being a role model. In friendships, at work, or at home, challenge sexist behaviour in small but effective ways. It’s not about escalating conflict, but about flipping the script. If someone makes a comment, ask: “Would you say that if it was reversed?” Those little nudges make people stop and think. Leading is also about modelling better behaviour for younger people, especially boys, and showing them different ways to talk and act.


P is for Pause — thinking about how your actions affect others in public spaces. You might not have bad intentions, but your behaviour can still feel threatening. If you’re walking close behind someone, crossing the street, or approaching a young girl alone for directions, pause. Choose the safer option. These small decisions can make someone feel much safer without affecting your own day.


That’s HELP: Hear, Empower, Lead, Pause. A simple way to remember how we can all play a role in tackling these root causes.



What kind of education or conversations are actually effective when talking to men about harassment and behaviour change?


It’s really hard to talk about these things because they’re so personal. But techniques like role reversal, or simply asking “why?” again and again, can open up conversations. Storytelling helps, too. Headlines and stats are easy to dismiss, but if you explain what harassment feels like in the moment — being followed, touched, trapped, no one helping — people begin to understand the human reality. If it’s hard to share your own story, share others’. People post online all the time, and connecting at that human level makes it clear why this isn’t something to “just get over.”


We also use bystander intervention training, which gives people simple, safe ways to act. One well-known framework is the 5Ds: things like Distract — pretend you know the person so they seem less vulnerable; or Document — if it feels unsafe to step in, write down the time, place, and details so it can support a report later. Even small actions like nodding to show someone you’re watching can make a huge difference.



With younger people, it’s often about language — things like “run like a girl.” Those small shifts can change outcomes later. We compare it to first aid or CPR: simple steps anyone can learn that can save someone in the moment.


This is systemic, and change won’t happen overnight. But using stories, reframing narratives, and noticing the everyday messages around us — like ads that still tell women how not to get spiked — can start a ripple effect. The more people challenge and flip the script, the more others begin to notice too.


What are some small, tangible ways our readers — especially women — can feel more empowered, even if we’re not activists or experts?


Yes, I think it really starts with the small things we can all do on an individual level—like being mindful in public spaces and opening up conversations. For example, you might be walking closely behind a woman, and even if you’re another woman, she doesn’t know that—you could still make her feel uncomfortable. So it’s about being aware of those little things.


Intervention is also important. Even if you don’t feel confident enough to step in directly, you can still make a difference. Just letting someone know you see what’s happening—a nod, a look—can mean a lot. I’ve been in situations where I’m saying “no” very clearly, loudly, and people around me just look away. A small sign of support in those moments can make all the difference.



How can you be a part of the change?




It also comes down to the language we use. Who do we blame when something happens? Do we describe women in ways we wouldn’t describe men? We all have internalised biases, and part of our work is creating resources to help people recognise and challenge those. We’re launching free online tools and training so people can start making changes themselves.



And change doesn’t always mean doing something huge. You don’t have to show up in person; you can engage online, follow accounts, share content, and support organisations. Even something small—like reposting statements that challenge how victims are represented in the media—helps shift perspectives.

At the end of the day, you can’t control other people’s behaviour, but you can change your own. If you care about this, you can choose to act differently, speak differently, and think differently. Everyone can contribute in some way.


What would you say to someone who wants to support this mission but doesn’t know where to start?


There are so many different ways people can get involved with us, and most of them are completely free. The only thing we charge for is merch—and 100% of those profits go back into funding our work.


One of our biggest initiatives is our ambassador platform. It’s free to join, and you can contribute as much or as little as you like. We now have members from around 150 countries, and around 2,400 people have signed up. The goal is to make sure our initiatives are as representative as possible, working across cultures, languages, and different contexts. Ambassadors can do things like translate, design, give feedback, or let us know if they don’t feel represented in a campaign. They can also help share clips, content, and ideas.


HASSL Merch – 100% of profits from HASSL merch go back to funding initiatives


We also have professional spaces—about 16 of them—including groups for teachers, educators, HR professionals, legal and police, media and journalism, PR, and more. These allow people to give feedback and share expertise in their own fields, which is hugely valuable when we’re developing resources or campaigns.


Beyond that, there are workplace training programs you can bring to your employer, and smaller ways to get involved through 'impact points.' These are little actions you can take to support us—things like sharing content or joining projects—and as you build points, you can even earn free merch.


We also run a large-scale survey which has had over 7,500 responses so far, and it’s an incredible resource. People share both their personal experiences and their ideas for tackling harassment, which I read religiously. We use this input when working with brands, partners, and initiatives to make sure everything we do is effective, inclusive, and representative of the people we serve.


So, whether you can give time, ideas, expertise, or just a small action, there really is something for everyone.


If you could speak directly to every man reading this, what would you want them to take away from this conversation?


Men need to be more actively involved in the solution—not just for the women in their lives, but as human beings with empathy and decency. That doesn’t always mean doing something on a huge scale; even the small actions matter. Of course, I’d love to see men advocate on a bigger level too, but it comes down to this: is your own comfort more important than everyone else’s safety? Have you really thought about what women experience, or why they might not have shared their stories with you? Have you created space for them to do that?


And this isn’t just about women. The same system that enables violence against women is the one that harms men, too. When men say, “What about men’s mental health?” or “What about the pressure to be a provider?”– that’s the very system we’re fighting against. We’re not enemies here. Saying women shouldn’t be harassed or attacked doesn’t mean men don’t struggle. In fact, tackling male violence benefits men as well, because even violence against men is statistically committed by other men.


So this isn’t only in the interest of women, but also of men, and of society as a whole. Even the smallest actions matter in dismantling the system. This is a structural problem, and it requires everyone’s involvement. Ignorance is not an excuse.



Harassment is not abstract. It doesn’t just happen to 'someone’s sister, mother, or girlfriend'. It happens to people. To women walking home from work. To men on nights out. To teenagers in school uniforms. To strangers you pass every day. It happens to us.


What Amy and HASSL make clear is that this is not a private problem to endure–it’s a collective problem to solve. And the responsibility doesn’t lie only with those who experience it–it belongs to all of us. Change starts with noticing, speaking up, unlearning the quiet biases we’ve inherited, and refusing to accept fear as normal.


The movement growing around HASSL shows we’re ready. Hundreds of thousands of people are already demanding something better. Because safety shouldn’t be a checklist, and harassment should never be a given. This is about rewriting the rules—for women, for men, for everyone. And the change begins with us.



Be Part Of The Change


Follow HASSL

Instagram @hasslofficial






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