Runners’ experiences of street harassment in London

Abstract

Street harassment is a common everyday occurrence, yet little academic attention has been paid to how it affects those engaged in outdoor recreation. This study critically explores street harassment experienced and managed by runners in London. Data was collected through an online survey and one-to-one interviews. A total of 121 runners across 26 London boroughs completed the survey, with seven women and two men taking part in follow-up interviews. Transcripts and survey responses were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The survey results showed that 84% of women and 50% of men have experienced some form of street harassment while running in London. Five themes were identified: Running into Trouble, I am Afraid of Men, The Cost of Safety, Silencing Myself and It's Not Me, It's You. These themes illustrate the complexities contained in the experience of street harassment, the impact it has on runners and how they try to manage it. This study highlights a pressing need for a shift in cultural and political attitudes towards the issue of street harassment.

Feasibility Meets Implementation Science: Narrowing the Research-To-Practice Gap for Exercise Activity in Multiple Sclerosis

“…Across the case studies, of BASE and GEMS a mixture of different classic behavioural theories were being considered and tested, such as the use of Self-Determination Theory, Theory of Planned Behaviour (individuals attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control) and Social Cognitive Theory (reciprocal determinism, behavioural capability, expectations, observational learning, reinforcements, and self-efficacy – seen as the most personal factor in changing behaviour) were used (Adamson et al, 2016; Learmonth et al, 2017; Learmonth et al, 2021). Other examples of behavioural theories can be seen in BASE with the COM-B, (capability and/or opportunity and motivation - as three key factors capable of changing behaviour) (Learmonth et al, 2021) that can help explain behaviour change in adopting exercise behaviour for those persons living with MS as they can target correlates of physical activity behaviour and consider the demands of living with MS. Further, in the BASE document source (Learmonth et al, 2021) the importance of including a realist theory approach (Brockschmidt & Wadey, 2022) to programme implementation (a theory that explains how and why particular types of interventions work to generate the outcome/s of interest) was indicated. This can help explain “how the intervention works”, “why does the intervention work”, how strategies bring about intended or unintended results, “for whom does it work” and “in what circumstances does it work” (Pawson et al, 2005).…”

Intercorporeality in visually impaired running-together: Auditory attunement and somatic empathy

“…This work addresses both ‘planned’ and deliberative intercorporeality in the form of co-running with human partners, and also with dogs in canicross (Merchant, 2020) or with guide dogs specifically (Lieberman et al, 2019). It also encompasses analyses of unplanned (and often undesired) intercorporeality, in the form of pedestrians, cyclists, and dogs as running hazards (Allen-Collinson & Hockey, 2015) and deliberate physical harassment (Allen-Collinson, 2008; Brockschmidt & Wadey, 2022; Gimlin, 2010). The running partnerships between VI runners and guides produce distinctive kinds of ‘togethering’.…”

Geographies of running cultures and practices

“…This work demonstrates that running experiences are relational and more‐than‐human, which can give rise to an embodied politics of running, based on how running is felt differently by different bodies. As geographers and scholars in neighbouring fields demonstrate, there is a notable gendering of running experiences, with women more likely to encounter negative or harassing experiences when running in public (Allen‐Collinson, 2022; Brockschmidt & Wadey, 2022; Krenichyn, 2006; Witkowski, 2018). Running can also be hard and certain bodily competencies are required to derive pleasure in such pain (Bale, 2006; Larsen, 2022).…”