Why Are Women Getting Punched In The Face On The Streets Of NYC?

Many are wondering what's going on in New York City and why so many women are getting randomly punched in the face while just walking down the street?

If you happened to be scrolling on TikTok on Monday, you may have come across a video of a woman telling her story about being punched in the face as she walked down the street. And then scrolling further, you may have come across another. And then another. So just what's going on in the city all of a sudden that women are being punched in the face for no reason?

Content creator and influencer, Halley shared a video on Monday morning telling her disturbing story of how she was just punched in the face while walking down the street. The evidence, a large egg on the right side of her forehead, told just as much of the story as she did.

"You guys. I was literally just walking and a man came up and punched me in the face," she began the video that quickly went viral with more than 21.3 million views. "It hurts so bad. I can't even talk. Literally, I fell to the ground, and now this giant goose egg is forming, and I'm like, oh my God. So crazy."

More than 10,000 comments quickly flooded the comment section of the video. While many wanted to know if the police were called and if she's okay, others shared that they also had a similar issue happen recently.

"It happened to me as well, a whole slap because he didn't like my hat," one person shared. Another added, "OMG I saw someone else post the same thing happened to them last week."

See video here.

A follow up video shared more of Halley's story, as well as an update.

"I was just walking on the sidewalk, and my head was down, and I was like looking at my phone, just sending an email. But there was so much room on the sidewalk and literally nobody was around, and I guess this man, I don't know if he punched me or if he elbowed me. I literally passed out," she said.

"I think he just was really mad that my head was down. He was walking his dog, so he took it upon himself to body check me and let me know to be conscious of my surroundings."

Halley said after being punched, she fell to the ground and "blacked out for a second." When she got up, the man was screaming at her. That's when she got up and ran away out of fear.

One follower suggested, "Do you remember what area you were at? Nearby businesses may have security cameras facing the sidewalk." Another viewer wrote, "Wait, this is the 2nd video I saw like this today!"

In another follow up video, Halley explained that she did go to urgent care to get checked out. She also revealed that she did call the police and was told that her story matches another one they recently got.

Another video by a different influencer, Mikayla Toninato, also shares a story of being punched in the face while walking down the street on Monday.

"So I just got punched in the face walking home. I was literally like leaving class, I turned the corner and I was looking down, and I was looking at my phone and texting. And then out of nowhere, this man just came up and hit me in the face," she said. "I'm actually in shock right now. I'm just like walking home because what else do you do?"

She concluded her video with a warning.

"I guess if you're in New York right now and you're walking while looking at your phone," she said. "Maybe don't do that."

Her video also quickly went viral with more than 4.3 million views and nearly 13,000 comments.

"WHAT IS GOING ON IN NYC TODAY?" one viewer wrote in the comments. Another added, "CALL THE POLICE this is the third time I’ve seen this story in 30 MINUTES!!!!"

See video here.

About a week ago, another TikTok creator, Olivia Brand, shared a video saying she was punched while walking on the sidewalk.

"I literally just got punched by some man on the sidewalk," she explained while walking down the street. "He goes, sorry, and then punches me in the head."

Many viewers left comments saying this is the second or third video they are seeing with the same disturbing theme. Some even said they saw this video in their FYP just before or after seeing Halley's video.

"Why is the video of the other girl getting punched right before this?" one person wrote. Another said, "Was it the same freaking guy as the other girl? I’m so confused why this keeps happening."

With so many people coming across the videos with the same disturbing theme on TikTok, it's opening a conversation about being alert and aware of your surroundings at all times.

TikToker Taylor Paré shared a video talking about the multiple videos she's seen of girls being punched in the face. She also told her story of being randomly punched in NYC last year.

"Three different videos of girls getting punched in the face for being on their phones in New York. What's going on?" she started her video. "It reminded me of last year when I got punched in the face because I was on my phone in Union Square. And you don't see it coming, and all of a sudden you just think to yourself, what just happened."

She explained that she saw the guy who punched her in the face. She chased after him and asked, "What the f---?"

"When this stuff happens to you, you have such a delayed reaction and response," she continued. "You think that you'd be alert, you'd be up to scrap. No. You're just kind of in shock that someone would put their hands on you in such a vulnerable moment."

Paré then said she's begging everyone to be more alert and not to be on their phones while walking down the street.

"Actually what we need to do is encourage proactive bystanders, not further regulate women's existence in public spaces. People just stand and stare. That's the problem," one viewer shared in the comments.

Another person pointed out that only women are being targeted in NYC. "Yet I haven’t heard one dude being punched for being on his phone. It’s ridiculous how many men just buck up to women and women alone."