Catcall experiment: Hidden camera captures street harassment

A new hidden-camera social experiment offers a disturbing look at the harassment some women face when they walk down the street.

The video shows Shoshana Roberts, a young woman in New York City, bombarded by more than 100 comments from strangers in just one day.

For Roberts, there is nothing friendly or complimentary about catcalling, reports CBS News correspondent Vinita Nair. In fact, she calls it street harassment. The 24-year-old actress teamed up with a friend who filmed her as she walked the streets of New York City.

"God bless you mami. ... Damn. Damn!" one man said.

In a 10-hour period, she received 108 unsolicited remarks.

She was winked at, whistled for, even stared down by perfect strangers.

One man's polite greeting quickly turned uncomfortable, as he walked alongside her for more than five minutes.

The video was posted on Youtube and has gone viral. It's sparked varied opinions.

One man commented, "Guys usually have to do the work, that's just how it is."

Another viewer asked, "Do you want your own daughter to walk down the streets with men asking her, 'How are you doing beautiful?'"

Roberts stood by the video, saying, "If we don't put up with harassment in school at home or work, then why should we put up with it on the street?"

The creator of the film says he came up with the idea after watching his own girlfriend get harassed on the street. His group, called "Hollaback!," estimates that 90 percent of women experience some form of street harassment during their life.