Shortly before I entered high school, a male student was caught taking photos up the skirts of girls at school. While school officials took action to prevent other occurrences, I still did not feel entirely secure in a community that was supposed to keep me safe.

Even now, years later, the thought is always in the back of my mind.  

For many women, this is nothing new. Many of us constantly feel overly anxious about being filmed or photographed without consent, and the rapid advancement of technology has made this conversation even more complex. 

Given the infiltration of technology into almost every aspect of our daily lives, it is essential to recognize how it is used against women in ways we never would have expected. 

Recently, a woman spotted a hidden camera in a popular thrift store in Logan Square.

Although the investigation is ongoing, the broader implications of this case represent the harsh reality women face in their daily lives: unwarranted surveillance.

Ann Russo, a DePaul professor in women’s and gender studies, says illegal filming is not only a violation of privacy, but of bodily autonomy as well. 

“It’s a serious violation of your whole being,” Russo said, calling these types of incidents “deeply disturbing.”

Russo also pointed to the psychological burden of surveillance, understanding you’re being watched, but not how or when. 

In a culture that accepts monitoring as a standard for safety, surveillance impacts many groups beyond women. Protestors, transgender people, undocumented residents and various other communities have also experienced invasive monitoring. 

But the act of surveilling women extends beyond simply being watched. 

It reveals structures embedded into our society intended to control women and reinforces misogynistic roots. Beyond objectification, the patriarchal hierarchies dominating our culture persist when a woman is deemed conquerable. 

Things will change when we start acknowledging the potential for any person to experience unwarranted surveillance. That means reframing our perspective from hidden cameras as exclusively a women’s concern to an issue of privacy that applies to everyone. 

Initially unaware of what happened at the Village Discount Outlet, Logan Square resident Aubry Nelson said it never occurred to her that this would happen at a place like that. 

“I thought that we wouldn’t have to worry about that,” said Nelson, who shops there regularly.

Now, she says, her perspective has shifted. 

Nelson feels pressure to be aware of those possibilities at all times. Regardless of where she is or who she is with, Nelson said she feels she must consider the possibilities for violation, as many other women do. 

Unfortunately, the perpetrators of these crimes escape accountability too often. At my high school, the offender only received a $5,000 fine. 

This decision, along with others, diminish the weight of the aggressor’s actions. 

As a young woman, it’s disappointing to see this happen over and over again. Sometimes it feels like there is no way around the injustice women face. It’s as if a new problem appears once any solution is found. 

When our justice systems fail to protect women, this behavior becomes normalized. 

Instead of enabling predators, we need to hold them accountable.

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