Girls and young women 'feel unsafe on public transport'

Two-thirds of girls and young women have changed their behaviour to try to stay safe, with 31% avoiding taking public transport alone, according to a survey by the Girlguiding charity.

- Emine Sinmaz

The research found that 56% of girls and young women aged between 11 and 21 said they felt unsafe taking public transport by themselves, up from 45% in 2022, while almost one-third said they had avoided it altogether.

Girlguiding's annual Girls' Attitudes survey found that 86% of 11to 21-year-olds had avoided going out in the dark to stay safe, with girls of colour more likely not to step out.