Two University of Manchester academics have formulated a six-point plan based on their own research to protect women runners from abuse.
In a new article published by Policy@Manchester, Dr Caroline Miles and Professor Rosemary Broad reveal the findings of their analysis of data provided by Greater Manchester Police and Merseyside Police.
This information was supplemented by a survey they conducted of 498 women runners, with a further ten asked to keep audio diaries for one month.
“Our analysis of police data showed there were 81 offences involving the abuse of women runners recorded by Greater Manchester and Merseyside Police between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2022,” they write. “The majority involved sexual offences, followed by offences causing intentional harassment, alarm and distress, and then physical assaults.”
Of the 498 women who completed the online survey, more than two thirds – 68% - said they had experienced abusive behaviour whilst out running, although only 5% had reported the abuse to the police.
“For these women, the most common type of abuse experienced was verbal abuse (91%), although a substantial number of women also reported being followed (29%), flashed at (10%), and experiencing ‘other’ forms of abuse (20%), the most common being abuse from men in vehicles,” Miles and Broad explain. “13 women (4%) said they had been physically assaulted, and seven women (2%) had been sexually assaulted whilst out running.”
The authors report that a variety of reasons were given by respondents for not reporting the abuse to the police, centring on three key themes: “a) the abuse of women in public being normalised; b) not perceiving incidents to be criminal offences; and c) low confidence in the police.”
University of Manchester academics have advanced a six-point plan to protect women runners from abuse (Credit: PeopleImages)
Using the knowledge gained from their research, Miles and Broad make six recommendations to policymakers and police forces around the country.
First, they advise making it easier for women runners to report abuse, writing: “Engaging with alternative platforms through which women can disclose their experiences, such as using an app to report incidents, rather than directly contacting the police, could improve reporting.”
Second, they call on the police to do more to encourage women to report incidents of abuse “and improve their communication with victims about outcomes of investigations.”
Third, by making it easier to report abuse and increasing confidence in the police, the University of Manchester academics believe there would be an improvement in the accuracy of police data in relation to the extent, nature and distribution of incidents. They add: “Police could use this intelligence to identify patterns of abuse and detect perpetrators, as in this GMP police operation which led to a conviction of a serial perpetrator.”
Fourth, Miles and Broad call for more initiatives such as Greater Manchester’s ‘Is This Okay’ campaign “to challenge the attitudes and behaviours of boys and men that contribute to gender-based violence.” They write: “Our research has increased knowledge of women runners’ experiences of abuse, highlighting the need for further work (via education and campaigns) that targets attitudes of men and boys, increases bystander intervention, and shifts the onus away from women to enhance their personal safety.”
Fifth, they recommend better access to access outdoor spaces for women to exercise. The authors note: “Mapping the police reported incidents revealed that women runners experience abuse in green spaces, including parks and paths next to waterways - places that are attractive for running.”
And finally, they advocate the recognition of women runners as a distinct group. “The research shows that women often run at quiet times of the day (around work and childcare commitments), in less populated areas, wearing fewer and particular types of clothing, carrying few items, and are more frequently alone,” they explain. “Women runners are therefore a distinct group who frequently experience violence and abuse and need to be represented in the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) agenda.”
‘The abuse of women runners: Implications for the violence against women and girls policy agenda’ by Dr Caroline Miles and Professor Rosemary Broad is available to read on the Policy@Manchester website.