Sexual offences on public transport - including tubes and trains - have doubled since 2012 according to new statistics obtained by the BBC's Radio 5 Live programme. From 2012-2013, 650 people reported the crime, while in 2016-2017, almost 1,500 did. The majority of incidents were reported by women aged 13 and over.
It comes after several high profile campaigns encouraging women to report anything that made them feel uncomfortable while travelling - including men rubbing up against them, touching them, or saying inappropriate things.
One campaign by the British Transport Police, 'Report It To Stop It' has had particular success, as Detective Chief Inspector Darren Malpas told the BBC: 'Tackling all forms of unwanted sexual behaviour on public transport is a priority for British Transport Police and we have worked hard in recent years to send a clear message to victims that they will be taken seriously and we will investigate offences.'
'I want all women and girls to feel confident travelling on our transport network,' said London Mayor Sadiq Khan earlier this year. 'This vital campaign highlights how any form of unwanted sexual behaviour is unacceptable and victims must be given the right support when they report offences.'
It is thought that the rise in reported incidents is just that - an increase in the number of women coming forward, rather than more attacks occuring. Figures collected at the time of the 'Report It Stop It' campaign showed that as many as 90% of women who experienced unwanted sexual behaviour would not tell the police as they didn't believe they could catch offenders.
Another important thing that the campaign highlights is that the majority of incidents happen at rush hour, in broad daylight, and are committed by sober men commuting to work. Getting to the root of this attitude - the idea that you can get away with this kind of behaviour - is at the heart of the campaign. The more that women speak up, the clearer the picture of the perpetrator becomes, and the more likely he is to be caught and stopped. The message here is that if he does it to you, he's probably done it to someone else, too.
The British Transport Police say if you are a victim of a sexual offence on trains or the underground you can text them in confidence on 61016.
READ MORE: Why The New Rules On Gender Stereotyping In Ads Benefit Everyone
READ MORE: On Philip Hammond's Train 'Joke': Casual Sexism Shouldn’t Be Treated Casually