To mark National Bystander Awareness Day (13 March), Transport for London (TfL) invites Londoners to participate in free online training sessions that empower customers to act if they witness any form of harassment on the public transport network.
As part of its commitment to eliminating hate crime and harassment on the network, and on the strength of the feedback from previous sessions, TfL is funding hundreds of active bystander training sessions with Protection Approaches, the national charity working to prevent all forms of identity-based violence.
The three-hour training sessions will take place online and are scheduled for March and April*. The sessions, delivered by expert staff from Protection Approaches, will examine different scenarios of hate crime and harassment, and encourage participants to discuss the meaning of being an ‘active bystander’ and supporting their fellow passengers on the network in a safe way. Londoners can sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/active-bystander-training-transport-for-london-3680839
A hate crime is defined as ‘any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s race or perceived race; religion or perceived religion; sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation; disability or perceived disability and any crime motivated by hostility or prejudice against a person who is transgender or perceived to be transgender.’
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London’s Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance, said: “Everyone should be able to use public transport without fear of abuse and TfL has a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime.
“Londoners have told us that they want to be able to intervene safely if they witness a hate crime, and having the right knowledge can make all the difference. That is why I’m pleased TfL is funding free training sessions to empower customers to step in safely when they see harassment on the transport network. I encourage all Londoners to take part, and help us to build a safer, more inclusive London for everyone.”
