What would you do if you witnessed sexual harassment?

Almost all women have been victims of sexual harassment in their lives. Fact. In 2020, a YouGov study showed that more than half the women surveyed had been victims of sexual harassment on London’s public transport systems. Ninety percent of those cases are thought to go unreported.
 
Some forms of sexual harassment are more obvious than others but if we all educate ourselves on what it is, signs to looks out for, and what we can do about it, then we can help put a stop to sexual harassment together by supporting people who are being harassed, and reporting those doing the harassing.

We know it’s not easy to be the person to challenge wrongdoing in public, there is a lot to think about, but there are non-confrontational ways to stand up to sexual harassment, as you’ll see by taking yourself through the hypothetical scenarios below. They’re based on incidents of sexual harassment experienced by people on London’s transport network, so put yourself in the position of the bystander, and ask yourself how you would act.

See it or experience it 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. TfL, British Transport Police, and the Metropolitan Police take a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment.

It’s a Thursday evening and you’re just leaving the office after working late. You’re tired and can’t wait to get home. As you head down the escalators to the Underground and onto the train, you manage to get the last seat on the end of the row near the doors. The carriage fills up, the doors close, and the train moves out of the station. Once moving you can’t help but notice a man standing unnecessarily close behind a young woman and it looks as though he’s pressing against her with his crotch, but you just can’t be sure. Maybe they’re together? Maybe he’s being pushed from behind?

Okay, so you look up from your seat and manage to make eye contact with the woman, it actually looks as though she’s on the train with her girlfriend and the man is a total stranger. They both look very uncomfortable and the woman is trying to angle her body out of the way, but the train is too packed. You’re now certain that this man is sexually harassing the woman and she needs help.

Now that you’ve taken steps to make the women feel safe, the offender now begins making remarks of a sexual nature towards them from across the carriage..

You’re on the night bus home after being out for a few drinks with friends, the bus is pretty full, mostly of people who’ve also been out drinking with friends in central London. There’s a small group of young lads at the back, a couple, a girl by herself, and a small group of women at the front. You receive an unsolicited explicit image via Bluetooth on your phone.

You take a look around the bus and it looks like some of the other passengers also received the image. The girl who’s by herself looks particularly upset by it and you can hear the group of lads at the back laughing more loudly now.

Though you may not have the technology to prove who sent the image, the police do. So if you feel comfortable doing so, don’t delete the image as it could help with any potential investigation. Offenders may think they can hide behind modern technology, but they are leaving a digital footprint even when sending via Bluetooth.