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General Overview

Type of stakeholder

EICS Framework

Region of Reference

Africa
Asia
Australia
Europe
North-America
South-America
World

Description

This intervention refers to the training of staff to receive reports of sexual violence, assault, or harassment in the public transport environment. Victims of the above offences (mostly females) are generally reluctant to report such incidents, as they are often afraid or ashamed, or believe that there is no point in reporting. Proper training of staff to deal with such incident reports is an important step in increasing the number of incidents reported, as victims will be more likely to do so if they know that their reports will be seriously and correctly considered.

Important aspects of this intervention include detailing the time and duration of the training, which departments to include, the format of the training, and the format of the data collection.

Facts/Illustrations/Case studies

Over 90% of street harassment incidents are underreported in Latin America. [1]

Types of Impact

To/from the stop/station/rank✕
Waiting for train/bus/paratransit✓
In the vehicle✓
At interchanges✓

This intervention would impact areas where staff are present, and therefore would not impact areas on the way to the stop/station/rank. Trained staff could be present at stations/stops/ranks, in the vehicle itself, or at interchanges.

Day-time travel✓
Night-time travel✓
Peak-time travel✓
Off peak-time travel✓

All travel time categories could be positively impacted by this intervention, depending on the scale of implementation and availability of staff.

Bus✓
Train✓
Rideshare✓
4 wheelers informal✓
3 wheelers informal✓
2 wheelers informal✓
Cycling✕
Walking✕

Modes with formal infrastructure and/or organisational structure will be impacted.

Girls✓
Boys✓
Adult Women✓
Men✓
Elderly Women✓
LGBTQI+✓

All public transport users could be positively impacted by this intervention, as any user can report an incident. However, literature shows that women experience sexual harassment more than men, so more women are likely to need to report incidents than men. [1-3]

Resources

Monetary Resource Requirements
The cost of training staff and providing them with the necessary tools to record reported incidents is relatively low. Operational costs are higher, as wages need to be paid to the trained staff for doing their jobs and significant numbers of staff may be needed across the transport network. Cost is dependent on the scale of implementation: the more training and staff is implemented, the higher the costs.
Capital Cost Requirements Operational Cost Requirements
Non-Monetary Resource Requirements
This intervention requires skilled personnel to conduct the training of the staff, which takes a significant amount of time. However, little political will is required to implement this intervention.
Skills Time Political Will

SWOT Analysis

Ensures staff are trained to record reported incidents well in order to help passengers
Establishes a system to report incidents
Scalable to suit budget and need

As soon as implementation stops, the benefits stop
Not effective in parts of the transport system where the intervention is not physically present

To encourage passengers to come forward and report incidents
To apprehend more offenders through reports of incidents

Female passengers might still feel uncomfortable/afraid of reporting incidents, even if the staff are available.

Effectiveness

Literature shows that the very high amount of unreported incidents is due to a negative perception of reporting by females. Females who have been victims of sexual harassment often don’t report incidents as they believe that reporting is useless or too complicated, or because they are fearful or feel like they won’t be taken seriously. [2,4,5] As there is a small amount of literature to support this, confidence in these ratings is moderate.

Perception by (female) passengers
Perception by governing bodies
Level of confidence in these ratings

Implementation

Implementation of this intervention takes some time initially, as staff have to be trained. The benefits ensue after the training is finished and the trained staff are deployed. Benefits will continue to increase as passengers become more aware of the available staff. Unfortunately, if the intervention ends, so do the benefits.

Implementation timeframe

0-1 year✓
1-3 years✓
>3 years✕

Timeframe to realise benefits

0-1 year✕
1-3 years✓
>3 years✓

Scale of Implementation

This intervention can be implemented at a station or suburb level.

National

Regional

City

Station or
Suburb

Ease of Implementation

This intervention takes a moderate amount of effort to implement, as it requires skilled personnel, and it takes time.

List of References

Europe

1. Gekoski, A., Gray, J., 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. [2022, January 11].

2. Gekoski, A., Gray, J.M., Adler, J.R. & Horvath, M.A.H. 2017. The prevalence and nature of sexual harassment and assault against women and girls on public transport: an international review. V. 3. DOI: 10.1108/JCRPP-08-2016-0016.

North America

Kearl, H. 2018. A National Study on Sexual Harassment and Assault. Virginia, United States.

South America

4. Quinones, L.M. 2020. Sexual harassment in public transport in Bogotá. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice. 139:54–69. DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2020.06.018.

World

UNWOMEN. 2020. Safe cities and safe public spaces for women and girls global flagship initiative: International compendium of practices. 39. [2022, January 12].

SHE CAN Tool