Empowering young girls to report street harassment and safety concerns

Creating safer streets is a key priority for Avon and Somerset Police in our mission to reduce violence against women and girls. Our aim is to gain a better understanding of the fears or worries that women and girls face in our local communities and work to create an environment where they can live without fear of harassment, abuse, or violence.  

Focus groups with girls from local schools and colleges revealed safety concerns

Earlier this year, we ran a small number of focus groups with girls aged 11 to 17 in local secondary schools across Avon and Somerset to better understand their feelings or concerns around safety in their local community. Sadly, results showed that too many young girls feel unsafe in their own neighbourhoods: 

• 77% felt unsafe on their journey to or from school. 

• Public transport and parks were the most common areas of concern. 

• Unwanted attention, following, and comments about their appearance were the most frequent issues. 

• Nearly 50% took no action after experiencing harassment, and only one reported it to the police. 

• 1/3 said they wouldn’t approach a police officer if worried, citing reasons such as thinking it ‘wasn’t important enough’, ‘feeling embarrassed’, or not wanting to draw attention to themselves.  

Below some of the girls share their experiences*:  

Our Early Intervention Officers led discussions with the girls to understand their experiences, concerns, and suggestions for improving safety. Superintendent Lisa Simpson, Avon and Somerset Police’s Lead for Safer Spaces, commented: 

“It was really upsetting to hear these young girls talk about their experiences and see how common harassment has become for them. This is not okay. We need to speak out against this behaviour and make it clear that harassment, in any form, is not acceptable. 

“We’re working with schools and other partners to make streets safer for young girls. It’s important to go after those who commit violence, but stopping harmful behaviour early on is key. Women and girls should be able to live without fear.”  

Empowering young girls by building positive police relationships

In a continued effort to enhance community safety and foster positive relationships between students and local law enforcement, we are introducing a new initiative starting this September, working with schools and colleges to offer ‘Walk and Talk’ sessions to female students. 

The Walk and Talks, which are currently available to women over 18 across Avon and Somerset, see local police officers accompany women on walks around their local area, visiting and discussing any specific areas where they have felt unsafe or experienced some form of harassment.  

This helps local police teams understand safety issues in their area better, spot repeat offenders, and encourage more people to report to the police. Avon and Somerset Police will then collaborate with the Designing Out Crime Team and local authorities to make physical improvements like more patrols, better street lighting, and increased CCTV to increase safety.  

“It’s crucial that girls feel comfortable reporting harassment or unsafe areas to us. We want them to understand that we take these matters seriously,” says Superintendent Lisa Simpson. 

“By understanding the issues in our communities, we can take effective steps to improve safety and make our streets safer for everyone.” 

For more information on the Walk and Talk scheme, visit: Walk and Talk | Avon and Somerset Police 

Help and support

To address safety concerns due to environmental issues or behaviour like harassment or loitering, you can report it via Street Safe, an anonymous online tool. Reports are shared with local policing teams and discussed with local authorities to seek improvements. Alternatively, you can report harassment online at Report harassment and stalking | Avon and Somerset Police or by calling 101. 

Useful personal safety apps include: 

• Hollie Guard – Personal Safety App 

• Life360 – Family Tracking and Safety App 

Our Cyber Protection Team also run free webinars around women and girls’ safety both online and in public. You can sign up to these here:

Thursday 15th August – 13:00 – https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/40e8eafd-f927-4d06-89ea-3e034f06e8cc@2d72816c-7e1f-41c0-a948-47a8870ff33a

Tuesday 20th August – 11:00 – https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/dd1a96d1-7fa0-4230-a6bf-f948286ef79a@2d72816c-7e1f-41c0-a948-47a8870ff33a

Wednesday 28th August – 12:00 – https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/0629d22a-9a46-4531-931b-92ae9f76c1cc@2d72816c-7e1f-41c0-a948-47a8870ff33a