Public Transportation Safety Among University Students

Project Description

Transit use is on the decline in many American cities. Research has shown that concerns about transit safety may influence travel behavior and transit use, and that women are particularly fearful about victimization while travelling. Studies have also shown that women are also very concerned about one type of crime — sexual harassment — which often goes unreported, and thus remains largely invisible to transit operators.

UCLA Lewis Center researchers surveyed 1,200 students from UCLA, Cal State LA and CSUN. This study focuses on the sexual harassment experiences of university students, a population group that is typically more transit-dependent than the general public, and possibly because of their age, more vulnerable to victimization from sexual harassment than other adults. This research was part of a broader study comparing sexual harassment experiences in various global cities. "Transit Crime and Sexual Violence in Cities: International Evidence and Prevention," co-edited by Vania Ceccato and Loukaitou-Sideris, examines the evidence of victimization in transit environments in countries around the world, exploring individuals’ feelings of perceived safety or lack thereof and the necessary improvements that can make transit safer and, hence, cities more sustainable. International case studies include Los Angeles, Vancouver, Stockholm, London, Paris, São Paulo, Mexico City, Bogotá, Tokyo, Guangzho, Melbourne, and Lagos, among others.

Status
Complete

Funding Source
University of California, CalTrans

Partner
California Transit Association

Research Team
Madeline Brozen, Miriam Pinski, Hao Ding, Fariba Siddiq