“I’ll Try and Make Myself as Small as Possible”: Women and Gender-Diverse People's Safety Work on Public Transport

Public transport is a known hotspot for sexual violence and harassment. Through 41 interviews with women and gender-diverse people who have experienced sexual violence and harassment on public transport, we found that women and gender-diverse people engage in extensive “safety work,” such as changin...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Authors: Ison, Jessica (Author) ; Forsdike, Kirsty (Author) ; Henry, Nicola (Author) ; Hooker, Leesa (Author) ; Taft, Angela (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2025
In: Violence against women
Year: 2025, Volume: 31, Issue: 11, Pages: 2830-2852
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Keywords:
Work
Women
Sexual Assault
Sexual Violence
Public transport
Description
Summary:Public transport is a known hotspot for sexual violence and harassment. Through 41 interviews with women and gender-diverse people who have experienced sexual violence and harassment on public transport, we found that women and gender-diverse people engage in extensive “safety work,” such as changing their behavior, strategizing, and planning. Safety work takes considerable time and effort, often leaving participants feeling stressed. However, participants advocated for changes to public transport to reduce the work they do to stay safe. We argue that significant changes, including primary prevention of gender-based violence, are needed to reduce their safety work.
ISSN:1552-8448
DOI:10.1177/10778012241270279