Girlguiding survey reveals rising fears of harassment, with many avoiding public transport or changing what they wear
Two-thirds of girls and young women have changed their everyday behaviour to try to stay safe, with 31% avoiding taking public transport alone, according to a survey by the Girlguiding charity.
The research found that 56% of girls and young women in the UK aged between 11 and 21 said they feel unsafe travelling by themselves, up from 45% in 2022, while almost one-third said they avoided public transport altogether.
Girlguiding’s annual Girls’ Attitudes survey found that 86% of respondents have avoided going out after dark to stay safe, with girls of colour less likely to step out.
Overall, 68% said they changed their everyday behaviour to avoid being sexually harassed, with one in three (32%) altering what they wear. More than a quarter (28%) of the 2,640 respondents said they had avoided places where they used to socialise and one in 10 (12%) changed where they exercise.
