Transit Policy’s Role in the Individualization of Safety from Sexual Violence

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

Objective: Research suggests that between 30-60% of women report experiencing sexual harassment and sexual violence while using transit. Despite these rates, transit authorities and municipal governments fail to recognize and address sexual violence within these spaces, particularly forms that are not categorized as criminal. This research explores how transit system policy embodies narratives of neoliberalism by centralizing responsibilization and victim-blaming.
Data/Methods: A qualitative content analysis analyzed a purposive sample of 38 public-facing policy documents from eight public transit systems across Canada, including documents like “Transit Tips” and “Safety on Transit.”
Results: Analysis showed that when discussing safety surrounding sexual violence, transit authorities and local governments engage in narratives of responsibilization, where the well-being and safety of an individual are encouraged through individualized self-discipline.
Implications: Transit systems can foster safer spaces through cultural change. This includes viewing sexual violence as a safety issue that is not individualized, thus requiring alternative forms of justice and surveillance, such as reframing public messaging from focusing on the potential victim’s actions to emphasizing everyone’s right to safety and collective responsibility for ensuring the safety of other patrons.

Authors

• Nell Perry, University of Victoria

• Patrick Falle, University of Victoria

• Adam Scott Jenkins, University of Victoria

• Tamara Humphrey, University of Victoria