Sharking

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Sharking refers to a form of malicious prank that has supposedly become fairly popular in Japan.^{[citation needed]} In the act of sharking, the perpetrator sneaks up on a victim in a public area in open view and forcefully exposes his or (usually) her intimate parts to be seen by the public for a brief moment before running away.

1 The act
2 See also

[edit] The act

[edit] Identities

The sharker is generally a man/boy wearing a hat or other disguise, and the victim, or sharkee, is generally a woman/girl wearing a skirt or flimsy, easily manipulated clothing.

[edit] Environment

Sharking generally takes place in open view in an area, usually in broad daylight, on a busy street. This usually makes it more embarrassing and surprising for victims. It makes it more dangerous for the perpetrator as he will be more easily caught or identified in broad daylight, and must escape quickly.

[edit] Process

The sharker first exposes and then (at least partially) removes undergarments to expose the victim briefly (victims are quick to shield themselves, scream, and put their clothing back on. Normally, a girl wearing a skirt has it quickly flipped/pulled up, panties pulled down, and then the sharker sprints away in fear before receiving repercussion. This is what is generally meant by sharking but can be referred to as bottom sharking.

The opposite, top sharking, occurs only to women (as men are generally not embarrassed by having an exposed chest), in which the girls's shirt/jacket are pulled out of the way and bra pulled down/unhooked. It is not unheard of, but generally much less common.

[edit] Videotaping

The crime is best known due to the frequency of men partaking in such assaults to record their actions (although the men in question typically take measures to conceal their own identities in the videos, presumably so as to minimize the risk of legal prosecution), although there is a good deal of debate as to whether or not many of these videos are authentic, or staged. These videos can be found on numerous internet sites intended to display distasteful or questionable humor, and have become the source of much controversy online.