Violent and sexual behaviour experienced by 88% of people on public transport
Women were more affected than men
A new survey has found 88% of people have experienced unwanted violent, aggressive or sexual behaviour on UK public transport in the past five years.
The report "Driving Out Violence and Aggression" has today been published by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust as part of National Personal Safety Day.
The report highlights that although unwanted behaviours can affect all demographiocs, women were affected more than male respondents in the past five years (90% and 81% respectively).
What were the key findings?
The most common unwanted behaviours experienced by respondents in the past five years are:
- Staring (64%)
- Intimidatingly sitting or standing right by someone (51%)
- Verbal abuse (42%)
- Refusing to cease an unwanted conversation which is aggressive or intimidating in nature (36%)
- Pressing up against someone (32%)
The fact that these stats are still so high really speaks volumes", says Violet Alvarez, senior policy and campaigns manager at the Trust.
"We know that one if five people who responded say they experienced these behaviours over 50 times in their lifetime.
"Again we're just looking at this really familiar patterns that we all know which basically shows that these behaviours are constantly more likely to happen towards women, people of colour of members of the LGBT community."
What are the police doing about it?
85% of people in the survey say they didn't report their experiences compared to the 14% who did.
Just over a third of them say they it was because they didn't feel it was worth the time or emotional stress.
34% of them said they didn't feel like they would be taken seriously.
Over two thirds of people say no action was taken over incidents when they reported them to the police and where no action was taken only 6% were offered specialist support.
Violet Alvarez added: "We really need to see some serious, cultural, deep-rooted, systemic changes in the way the criminal justice system responds to these crimes.
"We know the public sexual harrassment currently is not actually an offence when we're look at these so-to-speak low level behaviours.
"When women are reporting these crimes it's becoming less and less likely that it will turn into a charge let alone a conviction.
"We need to know that when police officers are getting these reports that they understand the crime, that they recognise the behaviours and first and foremost, they believe the person when they're reporting it".
What is the Trust calling for?
Suzy Lamplugh Trust is supporting Our Streets Now and Plan UK in calling for a standalone offence for public sexual harassment.
They are also calling on the Government to urgently support the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (safeguarding and road safety) Bill through Parliament to protect the safety of all passengers.
The Trust has also produced a signposting leaflet for victims and bystanders of unwanted behaviours on public transport.
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust
The Trust was set up in memory of Suzy Lamplugh.
Originally from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, she was an estate agent who disappeared from where she was living in Fulham, London in 1986.
Despite extensive searches, her body was never found and she was officially declared dead, presumed murdered, in 1993.
No one has ever been convicted for her murder and the case remains unsolved.
It's the UK's pioneering personal safety charity and leading stalking authority and aims to reduce violence and aggression through education and campaigning.
The National Stalking Helpline was set up by the Trust in 2010, it has helped over 45,000 victims since its inception, and is the only service of its kind globally.
Suky Bhaker, CEO of Suzy Lamplugh Trust, says: “Our survey indicates that aggressive, violent, sexual and unwanted behaviours are far too prevalent across our public transport system.
"Physical and sexual assaults are of huge concern, as is the insidious yet often non-physically harmful nature of other unwanted behaviours.
"Female respondents are more likely to experience behaviours that could be described as public sexual harassment, many of which are not captured by law."
BTP Detective Chief Inspector Sarah White, says: “We are committed to making the railway network a hostile environment for sexual harassment.
"Whether you experience or witness the types of behaviour outlined in the Suzy Lamplugh Trust research, we encourage everyone to report incidents to us by texting 61016.
"Everyone has the right to travel without fear of harassment. No report is too small or too trivial and we will always take you seriously.”
If you've experienced unwanted behaviours on public transport:
Contact the British Transport Police anonymously on 61016
Call the National Stalking Helpline or specialist support on 0808 802 0300
Or visit The Suzy Lamplugh Trust's website for more information.
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