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UK
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USA
What to do if…
someone at your gym or class keeps sexualising you and will not stop after you disengage
Short answer
Move to a staffed, public area and ask staff or the instructor to keep the person away from you. If you are in immediate danger or need emergency assistance, call 911.
Do not do these things
- Do not go to an isolated area to avoid the person.
- Do not meet them outside or agree to talk privately.
- Do not keep responding, explaining, or negotiating after you have disengaged.
- Do not feel pressured to confront them alone.
- Do not leave through a quiet area alone if you feel unsafe.
What to do now
- Move to a safer pause. Go to the front desk, stand near the instructor, or move to a staffed public area.
- Tell staff what is happening. Say: “This person keeps making sexual comments or approaching me after I disengaged. I need help keeping them away from me.”
- Ask for immediate separation. Ask staff to stay nearby, keep the person away from you, and explain what safe options are available for the rest of the session.
- Ask for help leaving safely. Ask a staff member to walk with you to your ride or wait with you while you arrange transport.
- Call 911 for immediate danger or emergency assistance.
- Preserve only what already exists if you choose. You may save existing messages and ask the venue to preserve any existing footage.
- Contact RAINN if relevant. If the behavior involved sexual assault or abuse, or you want to ask about support options, RAINN may be able to help.
What can wait
- You do not need to decide today whether to make a police report, change gyms, or take any further formal step.
- You do not need to write a detailed account right now.
- You do not need to respond to messages or accept an apology.
- You do not need to decide now whether to contact a school or college support office. If the facility is part of its program, that office can explain whether Title IX may apply.
Important reassurance
Freezing, laughing nervously, trying to stay polite, or leaving quietly can be stress responses. You do not need to prove that the behavior was serious enough before asking staff to help keep you safe.
Scope note
These are immediate first steps only. Later decisions may need support from a specialist service, the venue, or a school or college support office if relevant.
Important note
This is general information, not legal, medical, financial, therapeutic, or professional advice. If you are in immediate danger or need emergency assistance, call 911.
Additional Resources
About this guide
This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.