Sexual harassment on public transport in England: Prevalence, experiences and barriers to reporting

Sexual harassment can have detrimental effects on individuals’ lives, such as mental health problems, post-traumatic stress disorder, low self-worth and feelings of anxiety. In-spite of the hight rates, the creation of a universal definition of sexual harassment has not been straightforward, while what constitutes sexual harassment differs broadly across society and cultures (Gardner, Cui & Coiacetto, 2017). Sexually unwanted behaviours can vary in severity and are further distinguished between verbal harassment (i.e., inappropriate and offensive sexual comments or whistling), non-verbal cues (i.e., staring or leering sexually) and physical behaviours, (i.e., ranging from groping, touching to assault/rape). Types of behaviours witnessed or perceived to contribute to sexual harassment are reliant upon everyone’s relative awareness of sexual harassment and knowledge of their associated legal standing surrounding sexual harassment.