Transportation professionals' visions of transit sexual assault: The problem of deproblematizing beliefs

Abstract

Abstract This study examines planners’ views of transit sexual assault in two transit systems where sexual assault is widespread, but little action has been taken: TransMilenio Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Bogota and Soacha, Colombia and informal transit in El Alto, Bolivia. In both cases, many planners lack information about transit sexual assault in their city, and the agencies do not systematically measure its frequency. Additionally, planners’ views of transit sexual assault are shaped by five widespread deproblematizing beliefs: (1) victims of sexual assault on transit are often mistaken or lying; (2) groping and sexual rubbing do not seriously harm victims; (3) victims brought the attack on themselves; (4) assault is natural and unchangeable; and (5) planners should not be responsible for addressing sexual assault because they did not create the problem. These beliefs, which were more common among male planners, pose a significant barrier to action because they support an attitude that sexual assault on transit is not a problem to which planners should devote resources; either there is no problem to solve or attempting to solve it is so difficult as to be futile. Additionally, deproblematizing beliefs reduce openness to new data about transit sexual assault. The belief that women are likely to mistake innocent actions for sexual assault renders some planners dismissive of survey data based on the self reports of (ostensibly) unreliable narrators. The results indicate that in the long term, a gender mainstreaming approach that includes training for planners is needed. In the short term, one critical task is to convince reluctant reformers that transit sexual assault is a problem on which planners can and should take action.