4 ways to help if you witness sexual harassment on public transport

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Women


4 ways to help if you witness sexual harassment on public transport

By Emily Badiozzaman

4 years ago

In partnership with TfL

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Sexual harassment shouldn’t be an occupational hazard of taking public transport – here’s what you can do if you see it taking place…

The pair of eyes that linger for too long. The stranger standing unnecessarily close. The sexual slurs said loudly enough to carry down the carriage.

We’ve learned to brush off this kind of sexual harassment as a ‘normal’ part of using public transport. National statistics show that 47% of women and 37% of men report experiencing some kind of sexual harassment while travelling on public transport, yet only 10% of women and 12% of men reported personally witnessing it happening to someone else.

Part of this is down to the unique environment of public transport, where many of us are actively tuning out of our surroundings, but there’s also a lack of understanding around what actually constitutes sexual harassment.

While more ‘physical’ behaviours, such as non-consensual touching or upskirting, are more commonly understood to be sexual harassment, verbal or non-physical behaviours, like intensive staring of a sexual nature or sexual comments, are also sexual harassment. They all are not tolerated on public transport and are all reportable - for an incident on the bus network report at met.police.uk, for all other TfL services, text British Transport Police on 61016 or report online, and in an emergency always dial 999.

Transport for London and other transport operators, along with policing partners, take a zero-tolerance approach towards sexual harassment on the public transport network, so here’s how to recognise the signs of sexual harassment on your next journey and help someone in need…

All of us would hate the thought of being a passive bystander to an incident of sexual harassment, yet it’s likely many of us unwittingly have been.

Sexual harassment on public transport can include (but is not limited to) intensive staring of a sexual nature, touching or deliberately pressing up against someone, making sexual comments or gestures, ‘cyberflashing’ (sending or showing someone sexual images), exposing intimate body parts and upskirting. And the more familiar everyone is with what constitutes sexual harassment, the easier it is to take action.

Often people feel like if you see an incident happening, it’s difficult to step in without putting yourself in danger or aggravating the offender more.

Intervening safely is key for all involved. You can do this by engaging the person being targeted in conversation about something unrelated, pretending to know them, or still going about your normal business simply standing in between the person and perpetrator, creating a physical barrier.

Claudia Williams, development officer at sexual abuse charity The Survivor’s Trust says, “By engaging with the person being targeted, a witness can let them know that they are not alone and help them to feel safer.”

These subtle gestures are also likely to spook the offender, preventing the harassment from continuing.

However, it’s vital to assess whether intervening is likely to put the victim, yourself or others in danger beforehand. TfL advises you should not actively put yourself or the person being harassed in danger - if you feel this might be the case, report it to a member of transport staff, the British Transport Police (if you’re on the Tube or rail network) or the Metropolitan Police (if you’re on a bus).

If you witness an incident or come across someone who has just experienced one, they’re likely to feel shaken, upset or concerned about continuing their journey.

Sometimes emotional aid, such as kind words of support, is all you can offer but it can make a world of difference.

“If it is safe to do so, speak to the person and let them know that what happened was not their fault, and that it should not have happened,” advises Williams.

“Ask them if they are OK and if there is anything that you can do to support them – for example, is there someone you can call for them?”

Where it feels right, you could even offer to help that person to their next destination safely, wait with them until their stop or until the perpetrator has left.

“Try to stay calm and reassuring,” adds Williams. “Though you may be feeling incredibly angry at what you have witnessed, try to avoid overwhelming the person affected with your own emotions.”

Witnessing sexual harassment can in itself be a distressing experience - acknowledge these feelings and address them by talking to a friend or seeking further help. 

Shockingly, nearly half of people who experience sexual harassment do not tell anyone, let alone report it.

It’s a sad reality that many victims have learnt to tolerate harassment, assuming that their experience might not be ‘big’ or ‘important’ enough to warrant contacting the police.

Other factors that prevent people from reporting incidents include the assumption that their reports won’t be taken seriously, or indeed the actual process of reporting, which many may find makes it harder to forget and move on from the event.

Despite this, it’s so important that all incidents are reported, no matter how ‘big’ or ‘small’ they may seem.

TfL’s network of CCTV, as well as eyewitness evidence, can help catch perpetrators so they don’t reoffend. Knowing more about what is happening on the network also helps TfL and the police put measures in place to stop it.

“By reporting incidents, you can help to reinforce and remind others that these behaviours are not acceptable and that sexual harassment or assault of any kind in our society needs to be addressed,” says Williams.

If you come across someone who has been harassed on public transport or have heard about a prior incident, encourage them to report it.

However, make sure you consider that there may be some emotional barriers as to why they haven’t – whether that’s feelings of embarrassment, shock or simply still being too upset about the incident to do anything about it. If this is the case, be supportive, gentle, and offer to help them report it together. If they don’t want to themselves, you can still report what you witnessed - TfL and the police are asking people who witness sexual harassment on public transport to report it as it provides vital information for the police.


Have you seen or experienced sexual harassment on public transport? Report an incident on the bus network at met.police.uk. For all other TfL services, text British Transport Police on 61016. In an emergency, always dial 999.

Together, we can stop sexual harassment. 

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