“We have created a word that provides people with the power to stop women talking,” —Lucy Brown

Children's television icon Fred Rogers suggested that during difficult times, we should look for the helpers, as there are examples of helping behaviour all around us. One such example occurred in June 2023 when a shopper stopped the abduction of an 11-year-old girl in London.

The girl was approached on the street by an unknown male, who asked if she was alone, then proceeded to follow her. This could quickly have escalated, were it not for the quick thinking of a female passerby, who noticed the interaction and decided to take action.

She approached the man, saying she would call the police and encouraged the girl to go into a nearby shop. Police and eyewitnesses later praised the actions of the woman for preventing the attempted abduction.

This positive outcome might lead us to assume that getting involved and challenging problematic behaviour (or potentially problematic behaviour) will always be seen positively. Yet I argue that for women, there is one word that has the power to stop us in our tracks and make us question whether to intervene at all. That word is Karen.

The term "Karen" first appeared as an apparently acceptable insult around 2018. Brewster (2020) noted that it was typically used to refer to a particular type of woman—one who inserted herself into situations that........

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