Resources

Community Safety & Direct Action Programs

NYC Transit Safety Tips

How to Avoid Harassment and Assault

Wait for public transport in well-lit areas. Wait closest to the MTA booth, if there’s a worker in it. If you can, wait in a coffee shop for the bus to arrive
After peak hours, always choose the car carrying the most passengers or the compartment with a conductor.
Stay awake. Attackers are looking for vulnerable targets.
Avoid traveling alone, especially at night. If you have to travel alone make sure somebody knows your itinerary. In general make sure your friends and/or family know your daily schedule (classes, work, group meetings, etc.).
Don’t choose the window seat as you may be “blocked in” by a potential assailant; always choose an aisle seat for quick exit. On buses, sit behind the driver or next to the door for quick exit.
It doesn’t matter if it’s daytime or nighttime, crowded station or not, keep these things in mind:
- Walk at a steady pace.
- Stand straight with your shoulders back and head held up (not looking down at the ground).
- Look around you and be aware of your environment.
- Don’t do other things while walking, such as looking through your purse, talking on a cell phone, or anything else, because distraction makes it easy for someone to grab you or your belongings.
- Pay attention!
- Act confident and self assured.
- Keep your hands on your possessions. If you carry a purse, don’t let it hang idly by your side from your shoulder, but rather, keep one hand on the purse itself.
Have a cell phone. Make sure it’s programmed with friends’ or family’s phone numbers.
Having a cell phone on your person can make a huge difference in case of an accident or assault. Purses and briefcases can be snatched, so it’s best to wear your cell phone on your person or keep it on your pocket. The sooner you call for help, the faster help can arrive.

If you cannot afford a cellular phone plan, many local cellular phone companies will allow you to pay a one time fee to purchase an emergency cellular phone that will directly connect only to emergency services. It’s worth looking into. Also, try SafeLink Wireless which is a government supported program that provides a free cell phone and airtime each month for income-eligible customers.
Carry personal safety alarms.

You can buy a small alarm that is on a keychain. Since you are always going to carry your keys in your hand having the alarm is a nice back up basic self defense tool. Personal safety alarms emit a loud, high-pitched and it will temporarily surprise your assailant.

A personal safety alarm can also be attached to a belt buckle, and will emit a loud, high pitched alarm when triggered that can alert others around you to a problem if you are unable to scream or otherwise attract attention. An alarm may surprise your attacker, allowing you time to get away, but it won’t do any permanent damage.

Trust your instinct – go with your gut.
Take a self defense class.

A basic self defense course is always a good investment in case you are assaulted. The Center for Anti-Violence Education, based in Park Slope, Brooklyn, offers basic self defense classes at a low cost for women and trans folks, and any martial arts training centers should have basic self defense courses. The Anti-Violence Project can probably tell you where to find self defense classes.

Self Defense Tips

NOTE: Only practice these tactics in situations where you feel safe to do so. If you feel unsafe, leave the harasser as quickly as possible.

Name the behavior: For example, “Do not whistle at me, that is harassment”, “Do not touch me, that is sexual harassment”
Identify the perpetrator: “Man in the yellow shirt, stop touching me.”
Use strong body language: Look the harasser in the eye; speak in a strong, clear voice.
Do not apologize or ask a question, be firm and assertive: Don’t say, ‘Excuse me…’ ‘I’m sorry, but…’ ‘Please…’ but rather say directly, “Stop doing X”
Do not get into a dialogue with the harasser, reason with them or answer their questions. Repeat your statement and/or leave.
Do not swear or lose your temper: This type of reaction is the most likely to make the harasser respond with anger and violence and it also can make you seem like the one who is crazy or wrong when the harassment happens among a group of people but no one sees what the harasser did to you.
If you have a camera phone, take a picture of the perpetrator, ONLY IF YOU FEEL SAFE DOING SO.
Your voice is a self defense weapon.
- Learn to use your voice. If someone accosts you in public, scream – yell at them with a deep authoritative voice. Don’t be embarrassed or ashamed to yell out loud.
- Even if you are wrong and the person had no intention of attacking you, better safe than sorry. Yell, “NO! Go away! Leave me alone!” if the person is just making you uncomfortable.
- If the person actually physically touches you or tries to take any of your items you can scream, “Call the police! Call 911! Emergency!”
De-escalating a situation means speaking or acting in a way that can prevent things from getting worse. The classic example of de-escalation is giving a mugger your money rather than trying to fight or run. *If someone harasses you when there’s no one else around, you can de-escalate things by agreeing with him or her. You don’t have to actually believe the taunts, of course, you’re just using words to get you out of a tight spot. Then you can redirect the bully’s focus and calmly walk away.

Something as simple as not losing your temper can de-escalate a situation. Learn how to manage your own anger effectively so that you can talk or walk away without using your fists or weapons.

Report the incident to the MTA worker, the NYPD, friends/family, community organizations, etc.
Know when to fight back (and when not to).
- There is no one-size-fits-all procedure for dealing with an attack. Some attackers just want your money or possessions and will leave you alone when they get what they want. Others are full of anger and will hurt you whether or not you comply. Some may be so hyped up on drugs or alcohol that they don’t even know what they’re doing and aren’t capable of responding to reason.
- This is where your skill at reading people and your gut instincts come in handy. You can often tell whether your assailant is out to steal your wallet or set on raping you or worse. That assessment helps you determine whether the best course is to comply, attempt to escape, or fight back

Community Safety & Direct Action Programs

RightRides for Women’s Safety
“The mission of RightRides For Women’s Safety, Inc. is to build safer communities by ending gender-based harassment and sexual assault. We work towards this by community organizing and offering direct service, safety education and advocacy programs.

In our RightRides program, we offer women, LGBTQ and gender nonconforming individuals a free, late-night ride home to ensure their safe commute to or through high-risk areas.”

The Center for Anti-Violence Education
“CAE works as a catalyst for change in the lives of women, LGBT people, teen women, children, and other communities especially affected by violence. CAE’s programs are designed to develop participants’ skills, knowledge, and awareness to enable them to heal from, prevent, and counter violence.”

Holla Back NYC
“Empowers New Yorkers to Holla Back at street harassers by asking people to send in photos of the men who harass them to their blog.”

EveryBlock.com
“EveryBlock filters an assortment of local news by location so you can keep track of what’s happening on your block, in your neighborhood and all over New York.”

Learn more about how to get the practical and emotional support you need or visit these groups below for more information about how they can help you.

NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault
“The mission of the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault is to develop and advance strategies, policies and responses that prevent sexual violence and limit its destabilizing effects on victims, families and communities.”

Safe Horizon
“Safe Horizon’s mission is to provide support, prevent violence, and promote justice for victims of crime and abuse, their families and communities.”

AVP
“The New York City Anti-Violence Project is dedicated to eliminating hate violence, sexual assault, stalking, and domestic violence in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and HIV-affected communities through counseling, advocacy, organizing, and public education.”

Additional Resources

How to Ease Women’s Fear of Transportation Environments: Case Studies and Best Practices MTI Report **Hollaback NYC and RightRides are listed as case studies**

Hidden In Plain Sight: Sexual Harassment and Assault in the New York City Subway System

New York by the Numbers: Transit Overload: A station-by-station examination of subway ridership growth over the past decade

NO!
“Through testimonies from Black women survivors, commentaries from acclaimed African-American women scholars and community leaders, NO! unveils the reality of rape, other forms of sexual violence, and healing in African-American communities.”

A Call to Men
“A Call to Men challenges men to reconsider their long held beliefs about women, in an effort to create a more just society. We achieve this by encouraging change in the behaviors of men through a re-education and training process that challenges sexism.”

Men Can Stop Rape
“Empowers male youth and the institutions that serve them to work as allies with women in preventing rape and other forms of men’s violence. Through awareness-to-action education and community organizing, we promote gender equity and build men’s capacity to be strong without being violent.”

V-Day
“V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM) and sexual slavery.”

Sylvia Rivera Law Project
“The Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP) works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination, or violence.”

Audre Lorde Project
“The Audre Lorde Project is a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit and Transgender People of Color center for community organizing, focusing on the New York City area. Through mobilization, education and capacity-building, we work for community wellness and progressive social and economic justice. Committed to struggling across differences, we seek to responsibly reflect, represent and serve our various communities.”

The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition
The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition works to ensure that classrooms, communities, and workplaces are safe for everyone to learn, grow, and succeed – whether or not they meet expectations for masculinity and femininity. As a human rights organization, GenderPAC also promotes an understanding of the connection between discrimination based on gender stereotypes and sex, sexual orientation, age, race, and class.