Volunteers from an Osaka-based group handed out almost 500 badges to commuters on Friday morning in the JR Shibuya Station area in a bid to help prevent young female school girls and college and university students from being groped inside train cars.
The badges were made because it's difficult for teenage girls to raise an alarm if they are groped and people standing nearby won't necessarily come to their aid, according to Chikan Yokushi Katsudo Center, the group behind the badges. Also, the group hopes the badges will help to prevent any false charges being brought against innocent men, and that they will help girls to be more confident and assertive so that incidents can be averted before they happen.
"The badge says 'I won't let the matter drop.' It's small but is a great help, because it is difficult for young girls to be brave enough to raise their voices and to deter any would-be gropers," said Yayoi Matsunaga, a representative of the center, which was founded in January.