Elise Britten
Sample of Work
Briefing Note
Briefing Note for the Rt Hon Nicky Morgan, Minister for Women and Equalities
Sexual Harassment on UK Public Transport (April 2016)
Purpose
The purpose of this briefing note is to inform the Minister on the state of sexual harassment on UK public transport. Please note that this brief does not present official government policy or legislative proposals. It is intended to ensure the Minister has appropriate background knowledge for public relations and policy discussions.
Background
Sexual harassment on public transport within the UK, is not a new problem. In a 1995 survey, one in eight women said they felt so unsafe on public transport that they avoided using it (Herbel & Gaines, 2011, p.85). This is part of a wider problem of sexual harassment in public spaces, which is becoming increasingly under public scrutiny. Women are particularly vulnerable to abuse on public transport because:
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Crowded, rush-hour conditions can create close proximity and decrease visibility of abuse (Gekoski et al., 2015, p.11)
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Quieter times can leave women alone on deserted public transport and stations (Gekoski et al., 2015, p.11)
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Victims are often trapped with their harassers until the next stop
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Law enforcement can be difficult because of the anonymity of perpetrators (Gonzalez et al., 2015, p.2)
Consequences
Sexual harassment on public transport has far-reaching consequences. Research has found that victims often experience mental health problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, reduced self-esteem and a constant fear for their safety (Gekoski et al., 2015, p.12). Harassment can force women off public transport systems causing issues of social exclusion. This can be economically detrimental as women might turn down optimal employment if it would require journeys that they are not comfortable with (Gonzalez et al., 2015, p.2). Women feeling unable to travel on public transport also works against the movement towards greener cities.
Issues with Reporting
Harassment often goes unreported by victims because (Gekoski et al., 2015, p.14):
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They do not feel the incident was serious enough
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They do not think the authorities would take the report seriously
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They believe that perpetrators are unlikely to be caught or charged if they are
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The behaviour has become normalised
Current Situation
Around 15% of women in London have experienced unwanted sexual behaviour on the transport network (BTP Project Guardian). However 90% of these incidents are not reported to the police (BTP Project Guardian). The situation is worst for younger women. Of London women aged 18-24, 31% have experienced unwanted sexual attention (End Violence Against Women, 2012). Although the problem is concentrated in London, the latest British Transport Police (BTP) report, shows that across all networks, there has been a 25.2% increase in sexual offences from 2014 to 2015 (BTP Statistical bulletin, 2015, p.10). However, this increase may be the result of public campaigns encouraging increased reporting (BTP Annual Report, 2015).
Stakeholders
The Minister should be aware of the following significant stakeholders:
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Sexual harassment victims
Victims are the obvious key stakeholders in this discussion. Many report not feeling like they were taken seriously by the police; being made to feel responsible for the harassment due to irrelevant behaviour such as smiling or wearing exposing clothes (victim-blaming) and that bystanders did nothing to intervene (Cresci, 2016).
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End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW)
The EVAW is a registered UK charity whose main aim is to “ensure that national, regional and local governments in the UK take all steps necessary to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls” (EVAW, 2012).
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Everyday Sexism Project
This project was founded in 2012 by British feminist Laura Bates to encourage women to report their experiences of sexism in their day-to-day life on social media, particularly Twitter (Bates, 2015).
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Hollaback, London
Hollaback, London is part of a wider global network which allows women to report their stories and post pictures online. The map on their website shows precisely where women have been targeted, highlighting problem areas (Perry, 2015).
Current Actions
The government has demonstrated its commitment to reducing sexual harassment through:
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Project Guardian
Project Guardian is a long-term project set up by the British Transport Police to combat unwanted sexual behaviour on London’s transport. It includes 2,000 police officers dedicated to patrolling the network, including both high-visibility and plain-clothes officers (BTP Project Guardian). A dedicated text number, 61016, allows the discreet reporting of sexual offences. In 2014/15, this service received 8,926 texts (BTP Annual Report, 2015).
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Secure Stations scheme
This accreditation scheme was launched in 1998 to encourage the design of stations to be improved in areas such as: good lighting, see-through fences and clear lines of sight from the ticket office to the platform. In 2015, transport minister Claire Perry announced that these safety considerations would now be part of bidding for rail franchises (Perry, 2015).
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Public campaigns
Advertising campaigns prove very effective in increasing reporting of incidents. The hard-hitting April 2015 video campaign ‘Report it to stop it’ was viewed 1.6 million times and received international media attention (BTP Annual Report, 2015). It is partly credited with the dramatic increase in incidents being reported.
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Research
Most recently the Department of Transport, in conjunction with the British Transport Police, commissioned Middlesex University to undertake research into ‘what works’ to prevent sexual harassment on public transport (Perry, 2015).
Future Considerations
The government-commissioned report, ‘“What Works” in Reducing Sexual Harassment and Sexual Offences on Public Transport Nationally and Internationally,’ identifies seven main approaches (Gekoski et al., 2015, p.9):
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Increased police surveillance
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CCTV surveillance
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Improved station design
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Advertising campaigns
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Grassroots action
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Online platforms and smartphone apps
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Women-only transport
Complicating Factors
When considering the above approaches, the Minister should be aware of the following complications:
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CCTV
While budgetary pressures make CCTV more favourable, research indicates that women feel safer with the increased presence of staff over cameras. Women and perpetrators tend to feel sceptical that camera surveillance is being monitored (Gekoski et al., 2015, p.31).
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Women-only transport
The suggestion of women-only carriages on UK public transport has proved highly controversial. In August 2015, Jeremy Corbyn, who was then contending the Labour leadership, said he would consider women-only carriages to improve safety. Although many welcomed the idea, it was also met with severe feminist backlash. Everyday Sexism’s Laura Bates Tweeted “women-only carriages suggest harassment/sexual violence is innate & inevitable so women’s responsibility to avoid” (sic) (Bates, 2015). Labour MP Yvette Cooper argued that “the staff needed to enforce the segregated carriages should be keeping all the carriages safe instead" (BBC, 2015). The ‘What Works’ report concluded that women-only transport is a short-term fix which would be a step back for the UK, as it reinforces a message that women need to be contained in order to protect them (Gekoski et al., p.10).
References
Bates, L. (2015, August 26). Tweet. Everyday Sexism Project. Retrieved from:
https://twitter.com/EverydaySexism/status/636472249814528000
BBC News. (2015, August 26). Jeremy Corbyn sparks women-only train carriage row.
Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34059249
British Transport Police (2015). Statistical Bulletin 2014/15. Retrieved from:
http://www.btp.police.uk/pdf/BTP-%20Statistical%20Bulletin%202014-15.pdf
British Transport Police. (2015). Leading the way: Annual report 2014/15. Retrieved from:
http://btpannualreport2014-15.tumblr.com/
British Transport Police. (n.d.). Project Guardian. Retrieved from:
http://www.btp.police.uk/advice_and_information/how_we_tackle_crime/project_guardian.aspx
Cresci, E. (2016, April 21). 'I cried all the way back': sexual harassment on public transport.
The Guardian. Retrieved from: http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/apr/21/i-cried-all-the-way-back-to-my-final-destination-sexual-harassment-on-public-transport
End Violence Against Women. (2012, May 25). 4 in 10 young women in London sexually
harassed over last year. Retrieved from:
End Violence Against Women. (n.d.). Our goals. Retrieved from:
http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/our-goals
Gekoski, A., Gray, J. M., Horvath, M. A. H., Edwards, S., Emirali, A. & Adler, J. R.
(2015). ‘What works’ in reducing sexual harassment and sexual offences on
public transport nationally and internationally: A rapid evidence assessment.
London: British Transport Police and Department for Transport.
Gonzalez, K. D., Arango, D. J., McCleary-Sills, J., Alves, B. B. (2015). Transport Brief. Violence
Against Women and Girls. Retrieved from: http://www.vawgresourceguide.org/sites/default/files/briefs/vawg_resource_guide_transport_brief_formattedv3.pdf
Herbel, S. & Gaines, D. (2011). Women's issues in transportation: Summary of the 4th
international conference. Washington, D.C: Transportation Research Board.
Hollaback, London. (n.d.). About. Retrieved from: http://ldn.ihollaback.org/about/
Perry, C. (2015). Speech: Challenging violence against women and girls on UK transport.
Department for Transport. Retrieved from: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/challenging-violence-against-women-and-girls-on-uk-transport
Sanghani, R. (2015, August 26). These countries tried women-only transport. Here's what
happened. The Telegraph. Retrieved from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11824962/Women-only-trains-and-transport-How-they-work-around-the-world.html