'The tip of the iceberg': Cyber-flashing on trains ‘largely unreported’ despite huge rise in incidents
Women are not reporting being cyber-flashed on public transport despite a massive rise in the number of incidents, new data has revealed.
Cyber-flashing is when a person is sent an unsolicited sexual image on their device by a stranger. This is normally done over a short range using AirDrop or Bluetooth technology.
The first recorded incident was in 2015, but since then numbers have risen steadily: data obtained by PA through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request show that the British Transport Police (BTP) received 66 reports in 2019 across England, Scotland and Wales.
This is compared to only 34 reports in 2018 and just three reports in 2016.
The figures also showed that 88 per cent of those targeted were women and more than half (57 per cent) were under the age of 30.
Despite the spike in reports, there was still only one arrest made. Incidents are recorded under the malicious communications act.
Professor Clare McGlynn from Durham University, who specialises in the research of image-based sexual abuse, tells The Independent, these numbers are "the tip of the iceberg".
"Many women do not report, because they know little can be done and they simply want to get on with their day. Technology is not only making harassment of women easier, but it’s also changing why men harass. Cyberflashing is not about ‘weirdos’ and ‘perverts’. It’s about everyday, ordinary men choosing to harass women.
"This is about power, and we need to address inequality and misogyny. Then we’ll see a reduction in cyberflashing," she adds.
The Law Commission is currently reviewing the laws around image-based sexual abuse, including cyber-flashing and looking at whether a new sexual offences law should be created, but the report is not due to be completed until summer 2021.
Detective inspector Ashley Cooper from BTP said: “As with other forms of sexual harassment, we believe that cases of cyber-flashing goes largely unreported – either because victims don’t feel the incident is serious enough to report or simply because they don’t know where to turn.”
Cyber-flashing victim Sophie Meehan, from York, tells The Independent: "I think the number of women reporting remains low because women are conditioned to expect things like cyber-flashing and more 'casual' forms of harassment as normal or just something we go through. Similarly to street harassment or receiving unsolicited sexual images via social media or dating apps.
"As a result women perhaps might not be able to justify going through the 'hassle' of report a seemingly 'minor' incident. Because we get used to this kind of harassment happening to us, our friends and the women all around us we are conditioned to see nothing out of the ordinary."
Another victim, Dawn Finch, said: "People are still treating this as if it's something to laugh off, a bit of fun, but it's not. We need to shift that attitude.
"If we create an atmosphere where everyone understands this is not acceptable, we will see a rise in reporting incidents."
Police are also still struggling to identify perpetrators in the majority of cases as the file-sending is done anonymously between devices.
Victims have expressed how scared and intimidated cyber-flashing has made them feel when travelling on public transport.
Data from the FOI request shows that in 2019, just under half (44 per cent) were travelling on the London Underground when the incident occurred, while 40 per cent were at national rail stations.
Rebecca Hitchen, campaign manager at End Violence Against Women (EVAW) coalition, said the increase in incidents shows women are becoming “more confident they will be taken seriously” if they come forward.
But she added: “It can also suggest that this particular behaviour is becoming more common.
“What we do know is that the actual number of women affected by this will almost certainly be much higher than the number of reports, and it will be impacting on their ability to go about their lives feeling safe and free.”
DI Cooper advised people to review their AirDrop settings to only receive messages from people in their contacts list.
A spokesperson for Apple told The Independent that with iOS 13 software the preview image for AirDrop has now been removed.
"So if someone is trying to send something and you don’t know them, just decline the file. You will never see it and it will never go to your device."
They also advise that users check their AirDrop settings (go to General then AirDrop or look in Control Center) to ensure their AirDrop is set to "Contacts Only" not "Everyone".
