A troubling trend known as the ‘Bumping Man’ is emerging in UK cities. It causes women to experience violent, unprovoked shoulder-barging assaults by strangers. Initially reported in Japan, and known as Butsukari Otoko over there, this behaviour involves men intentionally bumping into women in public areas, frequently with force.
Although often dismissed as unintentional, the actions seem to be deliberate and hostile. Victims who have spoken out about their experiences tend to recount the attacks as abrupt, shocking, and causing physical harm.
In an incident earlier this month, TikTok user Ayla Mellek recounted an incident where a ‘tall and muscular’ man ‘ran’ at her and knocked her down while she was walking, despite him having “space on the path to pass freely”. The 20-year-old says in her video that it happened in East London, while returning home from a store.
There was no conversation, and the man swiftly departed after the attack. The incident caused her to fall to the ground, resulting in a bruised hip and a swollen wrist. She later identified this method after viewing social media posts that showcased comparable events.
According to the Express, the Metropolitan Police are looking into multiple reports. A 38-year-old man from Whitechapel has been arrested by the police on suspicion of common assault connected to the alleged attack on Ms Mellek. Officers are encouraging other victims and witnesses to step forward.
Ms Mellek tells viewers: “Please if you’re in London you need to be so careful because I just got assaulted today in broad daylight.” In the comment section of the TikToker video, one person claimed: “This happened to me near Mile End! He almost threw me into the road and started threatening me!!”
A second said: “This happened to me in London on Sunday. The loser changed his jogging route to come right at me. I moved but he swerved to body slam me. I managed to stay on my feet but it was so painful.” A third said: “Sorry this happened to you, a lady and her baby got pushed into the canal in King’s Cross this weekend whats going on.”
Another wrote: “This is a new trend among incels! It’s called butsukari otoko (bumping man) and started in Japan. He did it on purpose to feel superior- it’s the whole point. I’m so sorry this happened to you.” Someone else commented: “I’ve been going to Japan for 10 years and being rammed by butsukari otoko is normal for me.”
The Butsukari Otoko trend in Japan has become infamous over the last ten years. Several viral videos have shown men colliding with women, particularly those who seemed distracted or defenceless.
Numerous instances have been recorded on CCTV, revealing the same offender multiple times, which led to public anger and a closer examination of street harassment regulations. Reports from Japanese media indicated that one individual in Osaka was filmed body-checking over a dozen women within just one month.
Assault offences are governed by the Offences against the Person Act 1861, the Criminal Justice Act 1988, and the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. There are three categories of assault offences: common assault, actual bodily harm (ABH), and grievous bodily harm (GBH) or wounding.
